Like other cities, religious holidays are celebrated in Milan but there is one holiday exclusive to Milan on December 7--the feast day that honors the city's patron saint, Sant'Ambrogio.
Some of the main sites in Milan are the Duomo of Milan, La Scala ,the Santa Maria delle Grazie and Pinacoteca di Brera.
The Duomo of Milan is located right in the middle of Milan. It is one of the biggest churches in the world at 515 ft (157 m) in length and at its widest 301 ft (92 m). It was started in the 1300's but not completed until over half a millennia later. The most noticeable part of the building is the roof with 135 spires which on a clear day can be seen from the Alps.
The Teatro alla Scala, also known as La Scala, has the largest stage in Europe. It also gets many of the greatest singers in the world. Tickets are usually sold out a long time in advance so if you are travelling to Italy, you may want to make reservations long before you start your trip. There is an adjoining building called Museo Teatrale where you can see sets, props, and costumes from the old productions. You will experience Italian opera at its best if you include an evening in La Scala during your journey
The Santa Maria delle Grazie is important because it is home to Leonardo's Last Supper. It is this picture where Christ tells his disciples that one of them will betray him. The portrait of Christ is not finished because Leonardo didn't consider himself worthy to paint Christ. There is now a debate to leave the Last Supper with all it's restorations or to leave it with just what Leonardo himself painted but work is continuing on a current restoration that has already taken decades with only a small amount of actual repair completed.
The best collection of art in Milan is the Pinacoteca di Brera which has both classical and contemporary Italian works. Among its important paintings are the Marriage of the Virgin by Raphael. The Kiss by Francesco Hayez which became a romantic symbol of 19th Century Italian patriotism and Mantegna's Dead Christ that dramatically portrays the lifeless body of Jesus. In its modern collection you can find paintings by Modigliani and Carra among others. There are many great scenic wonders within a day's drive from Milan--the Dolomite Mountains, Lake Como and the National Park of Stelvio. And just a short trip outside Milan, in the town of Cremona, you can see some of the greatest musical instruments in the world and the tomb of the brilliant craftsman who produced perfect violins--Anthony Stradivari, also known as Stradivarius.
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