Gothic spires, da Vinci's Last Supper, and aperitivo
One of Europe's grandest train stations. Mussolini-era monumental architecture — massive stone arches, relief sculptures, soaring ceilings. It's a building that takes itself very seriously.
Italy's largest Gothic cathedral. 135 spires, 3,400 statues, 600 years to build. The rooftop terraces let you walk among the spires and flying buttresses — like being in a Gothic forest made of marble.
World's oldest shopping mall (1877). Iron-and-glass cruciform arcade, mosaic floors, Prada's original store. Spin three times on the bull mosaic for good luck.
Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece at Santa Maria delle Grazie. MUST book months ahead — strictly timed 15-minute viewings for groups of 25. Worth every bit of planning. If you can't get tickets, the church itself is beautiful.
Canal-side neighborhood — Milan's most atmospheric area for evening aperitivo. Buy one drink, get a full buffet spread. This is the Italian system, and it is correct.
Depart Florence in the morning, arrive Milan by lunch. Milano Centrale station alone is worth the trip — it's fascist-era megalomania in marble, a building that wants you to feel small. Ricki will have opinions about the architecture.
Milan is different from Rome and Florence. It's Italy's business capital, fashion center, and financial heart. Less charming, more sophisticated. The Duomo — Milan's cathedral — is the exception: 600 years of Gothic obsession in white marble, with a rooftop you can walk on, among the spires, 70 meters above the piazza.
The Galleria is Italy's answer to a mall: iron and glass, 1877, mosaic floors, Prada. Emily will spin on the bull. Ricki will spin on the prices.
Evening: Navigli district for aperitivo. You buy one Aperol Spritz (€8–12) and get access to a buffet of pasta, bruschetta, salads, and charcuterie. Ricki will approve of this system. Two drinks and dinner is handled.
City center
One night only. Pick up rental car here tomorrow morning. Budget €150–300/night.
Milan Cathedral rooftop — you walk ON TOP of a Gothic cathedral, among 135 spires and 3,400 statues. Each spire is an engineering feat: flying buttresses transfer the roof's weight outward and downward.
Spinning on the bull mosaic in the Galleria — tradition says spin three times on your heel on the bull's... well... anatomy. Everyone does it. There's a permanent divot in the mosaic from centuries of spinning.
Duomo rooftop has an elevator option. The Galleria is flat, beautiful, and air-conditioned in the shops. Navigli aperitivo is the perfect Ricki-and-Maritza evening — sit canal-side, one drink buys dinner.