THE CITY IS WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED
Milan, Italy’s capital of fashion and design, always has some pleasant surprise in store. It is rich in history and at the same time thoroughly modern. It prides itself on its eco-sustainability, with ample green spaces, miles of cycle lanes and tough restrictions on traffic. Milan is just waiting to be discovered - from its elegant shopping and residential areas to redevelopment projects designed by renowned Italian and international architects, from its social and cultural meeting places to its countless works of art. The city plays host to one event after the other right throughout the year, including fashion shows, design events, art exhibitions, business conventions, medical congresses, theatre and music festivals, trade fairs and sports events. And let’s not forget Milan’s vibrant night life.
Why wait? Explore the city in the company of an expert guide.
SERVICES
Guided Tours
Assistance and Tour Escort Service
Expert Advice
I have lived in Milan all my life and thanks to the job I do, I’m always up to date on what the city has to offer to the visitor, whether to do with the arts, special events or any other sort of innovation.
My guided tours are as varied as my clients (be they individuals, tour groups, corporate groups or groups on incentive trips): for people who are passionate about culture, art, museums, architecture, photography, shopping, fashion, design, gastronomy, trekking and more, because Milan is a city of endless opportunities. As a tour leader, I provide assistance and arrange transfers to and from airports, staff the desk at congresses and events, provide assistance at gala dinners, and accompany day trips to the main tourist destinations around Milan: art heritage towns, the lakes, and mountain and coastal resorts. I also provide interpreting services.
Do you want to arrange a private or corporate event in Milan? Do you want to make the most of the time you or your clients spend in the city?
I can provide expert advice to help you make your plans.
MILAN IN ALL SEASONS
When is the best time to visit Milan? Each season has something special to offer. Enjoy a look around a museum or a church during the winter months, take a stroll around the city’s parks in spring, be sure to take a boat trip along the canals in summer and make the most of the shopping in autumn.
ABOUT ME
I was born in Milan. After obtaining my high school diploma in Business Studies and Languages, I started a job but at the same time attended the IULM University in Milan and graduated in Foreign Languages and Literature with a thesis on German literature.
My first job was as a foreign language clerk and I subsequently worked as assistant both to managers in the company and the company president. I spent several lengthy periods in Germany (Berlin and Stuttgart) where I gained considerable experience as a freelance translator for a large German automobile manufacturer and I was coordinator of a consortium of translation agencies.
I qualified as a tourist guide for Milan city and province in 1997 and threw myself into my new profession with passion and commitment. In 2004 I also acquired the qualification of tour leader. Since then I have collaborated with travel agencies, tour operators and companies, for incoming tourism in Milan and the surrounding area. I also organise and provide assistance for special tours for individual clients, tour groups and incentive groups, as well as developing projects for tourist products aimed at Italian and foreign visitors.
A Guida Turistica (tourist guide) and Accompagnatore (tour leader), are required by current legislation to be in possession of the necessary certification in order to operate as such. The certificate is awarded subsequent to successfully passing a qualifying examination. Ensure that your guide has this certification: it is a guarantee of quality.
IT ALL STARTED...
… with a holiday in Egypt more than twenty years ago. I was on an organised group tour and an outstanding local guide accompanied us for a week of discovery around her country. Her professionalism and cordiality inspired me to undertake the same profession.
THE UNMISSABLES
THE SFORZA CASTLE, VIA DANTE, PIAZZA MERCANTI, THE DUOMO, THE GALLERIA, TEATRO ALLA SCALA
The classic introductory tour for first-time visitors to Milan. It includes the most well-known sights and areas in the city. Choose between a full-day or half-day tour.
GALLERIA VITTORIO EMANUELE II
The splendid “salon” of the Milanese captivates visitors from all over the world with its elegant glass and iron roof and its exclusive shops and restaurants. The Galleria was inaugurated in1865 by Victor Emanuel II, the first King of Italy, to whom it is dedicated.
PIAZZA MERCANTI
A stone’s throw from Piazza Duomo, Piazza dei Mercanti was the centre of city life in medieval times, counting among its buildings the Broletto, seat of the city government. A sixteenth-century well in the middle of the square survives to this day.
PALAZZO REALE
The original building dates back centuries and throughout its history the Palazzo Reale has been the seat of the city’s governors, from the Sforzas to Napoleon to the Habsburgs. The prestigious space is now used to host important art exhibitions.
THE SFORZA CASTLE
Originally the Visconti fortress and subsequently the Sforza residence, this imposing building, constructed in the shadow of the medieval city walls, is now home to the city’s Civic Museums and the Art Library.
THE MILAN COAT OF ARMS
The emblem of the Milan Municipality is a white or silver shield bearing a red cross and surmounted by a gold crown. It is flanked by a branch of laurel and one of oak, tied together by a tricolour ribbon.
THE MUSEUMS
LEONARDO DA VINCI’S LAST SUPPER, PINACOTECA DI BRERA, MUSEO ALLA SCALA, MUSEO POLDI PEZZOLI, PINACOTECA AMBROSIANA, MUSEO DEL 900, FONDAZIONE PRADA, SILOS ARMANI, SFORZA CASTLE MUSEUMS, TRIENNALE DESIGN MUSEUM
Milan is home to more than 50 public or private museums, and more than 150 exhibition spaces around the city for temporary shows. Booking ahead is recommended, or sometimes required, for some of the more popular museums and exhibitions.
SILOS ARMANI
The Silos, dedicated to the creativity of Giorgio Armani, occupies 4,500 square metres on four floors. It exhibits a selection of his designs from 1980 to the present day, divided by theme: the ground floor houses the Stars and Daywear sections; the first floor, Exoticism; the second floor, Colour Schemes and the third and last floor, Light.
THE SFORZA CASTLE MUSEUMS
Opened to the public in the 1950s, the Sforza Castle Museums house such important collections and works as Leonardo’s decorative painting of the walls of the Sala delle Asse and Michelangelo’s unfinished sculptural masterpiece, the Pietà Rondanini.
THE TRIENNALE DESIGN MUSEUM
This light-filled building on the edge of Parco Sempione was designed by Giovanni Muzio and opened in 1933 as the home of the Milan Triennale, dedicated to exhibitions of design and architecture. Since 2007 it has also housed the first Italian Design Museum.
LEONARDO DA VINCI’S LAST SUPPER
While living and working in Milan, Leonardo was commissioned by Duke Ludovico Maria Sforza to paint the Last Supper on a wall of the refectory in the Santa Maria delle Grazie Dominican Convent. The famous dry wall painting depicts the moment when Jesus tells the apostles that one of them will betray him.
PINACOTECA DI BRERA
The museum has a collection of mainly Italian masterpieces from the thirteenth to the twentieth centuries. The first works acquired were used as didactic material for students of the Academy. The Pinacoteca was officially inaugurated and opened to the public in 1809 by Napoleon Bonaparte.
MUSEO TEATRALE ALLA SCALA
The museum had its beginnings in 1913 with the acquisition of a private collection comprising objects that had belonged to musicians, performers and spectators; musical instruments, paintings and sketches. Temporary exhibitions are often held here. From the museum it is possible to gain access to the theatre boxes and admire the inside of the beautiful Teatro alla Scala.
MUSEO POLDI PEZZOLI
The Milanese nobleman Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli (1822-1879) left his palazzo and his collections to the state. Decorative artworks sit side by side with canvases by the greats of Italian and international painting.
PINACOTECA AMBROSIANA
The Pinacoteca is housed in the Palazzo dell'Ambrosiana, commissioned by Federico Borromeo (1605) to contain the first public library in Europe, which to this day is home to Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus and an Academy of Painting.
MUSEO DEL 900
The collection in the Museo del Novecento is one of the most important collections of 20th-century Italian art in existence and is made up of more than 400 works, displayed chronologically from Volpedo’s Il Quarto Stato of 1902 to the section on Arte Povera.
FONDAZIONE PRADA
The Fondazione Prada, presided over by business giants Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, is an institution dedicated to contemporary art and culture. It currently has two venues, Milan and Venice. The Milan section was inaugurated in 2015 in the vast spaces formerly occupied by a distillery dating back to the beginning of the 20th century.
“IL BACIO” BY HAYEZ
This famous painting is an oil on canvas painted in 1859 by the Italian artist, Francesco Hayez. Universally recognized as an icon of Italian romantic art, it contains political allusions and was widely popular in its day. It is on display in the Pinacoteca di Brera.
IN DEPTH VISITS
THE NAVIGLI, THE BRERA QUARTER, PORTA NUOVA, THE CIMITERO MONUMENTALE, CASA VERDI, QUADRILATERO DELLA MODA, IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI, PALAZZO REALE, PARCO SEMPIONE
If you would like a full-day or multi-day tour, or if you are already familiar with the main sights in Milan and would like to know more, these tours will give you the chance to discover other fascinating and lesser-known areas of the city.
CIMITERO MONUMENTALE
Virtually an open-air museum. Designed by the architect Carlo Maciachini and inaugurated in 1866, the Cimitero Monumentale contains works of art by the most important sculptors and architects of the last 150 years. Many illustrious Milanese, who brought fame and prestige to the city, are buried here.
THE NAVIGLI (CANALS)
The Navigli area includes the Naviglio Grande and the Naviglio Pavese, the two navigable canals that converge in the Darsena, the one-time city docks. The area has recently been redeveloped and is traditionally one of the most popular spots in the city for a night out.
THE BRERA QUARTER
The Brera quarter, with its narrow pedestrian streets flanked by historical buildings, is one of the most charming areas in the city. Because of the nearby Fine Arts Academy, since the 19th century it has always been an area that has attracted artists, and is still a favourite destination of the young and not-so-young as a place to meet for an aperitivo at an outdoor table or for a romantic candle-lit dinner.
PORTA NUOVA
The Porta Nuova area has undergone a complete transformation in recent years, and has seen not only the appearance of skyscrapers designed by prestigious Italian and international architects, but also large parks and plenty of pedestrian areas and bicycle lanes. In the evening it becomes one of the liveliest nightlife hubs in the city.
CASA VERDI
A project founded and financed by Giuseppe Verdi himself during the last years of his life, Casa Verdi is a rest home for retired Italian artists and musicians and also provides accommodation for some Conservatory students. The maestro is buried in a crypt in the garden.
QUADRILATERO DELLA MODA
A stroll down Via Montenapoleone cannot be missed if you want to admire the enticing shop windows of famous fashion brands and soak in the atmosphere of this exclusive shopping district. It is a quadrangle of streets with beautiful half-hidden courtyards and some of the most elegant historical buildings in the city.
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI
Leonardo was born in Tuscany and then moved to Milan, where he spent almost twenty years at the court of Ludovico il Moro, devising projects and producing masterpieces of art. It is possible to admire his works and visit many of the places around the city where his influence on the history and culture of Milan is still keenly felt.
PARCO SEMPIONE
With its 38 hectares, the Parco Sempione is Milan’s largest park. Once the game reserve of the Visconti and Sforza families, it now includes on its grounds such buildings as the Palazzo della Triennale, the Torre Branca, the Arena, and the Civic Aquarium.
MONUMENTO ELISI
The Elisi Memorial was sculpted in 1916 by Francesco Penna. The sculpture is entitled I Gigli del cielo (Lilies of Heaven) and was commissioned by Ettore Elisi, owner of a famous hotel in the centre of Milan, for his family members and to commemorate the death of his daughter, who died aged 9 in 1913.
AROUND MILAN
MONZA, LAKE COMO, BERGAMO, CERTOSA DI PAVIA, VIGEVANO, LAKE MAGGIORE
You can combine your city tour with one or more excursions out of town. Milan is within easy distance of several exceptionally interesting places to visit.
CERTOSA DI PAVIA
The Certosa was commissioned by the Duke of Milan, Gian Galeazzi Visconti, at the end of the 14th century, and built a few kilometres from the town of Pavia. It is now home to a community of Cistercian monks. It contains a rich collection of precious artworks and the mausoleum of the Sforza Duke, Ludovico il Moro and his wife, Beatrice d’Este.
LAKE MAGGIORE
The waters of Lake Maggiore, also known as Lake Verbano, lap the shores of both Italy and Switzerland. Its year-round mild climate has contributed to the creation of lovely botanical gardens, the most beautiful of which are undoubtedly those on the Borromean islands.
BELLAGIO, THE PEARL OF LAKE COMO
Bellagio is an elegant picturesque village overlooking the lake and is rightly world renowned for its beauty. Walk the steep cobbled streets lined by small shops and restaurants where you can try the local specialities, or just sip a good coffee. Villa Melzi, with its marvellous gardens, should not be missed.
Reviews
Ho partecipato con entusiasmo alla prima edizione di My Urban Trekking, conoscendo Emanuela e la sua preparazione, e avendo avuto modo di parlare con lei in fase di programmazione. Entusiasmo che è stato ampiamente ripagato dopo la camminata che mi ha portato non solo a riscoprire luoghi conosciuti ma ahimè non più frequentati, ma soprattutto a innamorarmi di nuovo della mia città, carpendone i dettagli nascosti grazie alle preziose informazioni di Emanuela esplicitate con chiarezza, leggerezza e ironia. Sicuramente da rifare!
Elena Turco, Milano / ItalyPer noi è stato soprendente scoprire vie e quartieri finora sconosciuti. Abbiamo apprezzato la preparazione della simpatica guida. Attendiamo il prossimo "Urban Trekking" da turiste nella nostra bella città!
Stefania Vicario e Lu Vicario, Milano / ItalyMy Urban trekking è una formula interessantissima e originale per scoprire luoghi conosciuti e non di Milano.
Emanuela, puntuale e attenta, ci ha condotti in una passeggiata piacevolissima, seppur sotto la pioggia che non ci ha dato tregua . L’assetto urbano, la toponomastica, l’architettura sono lo spunto dal quale Emanuela parte per approfondire la storia più recente e non della città, e fornire una serie di informazioni che a mio parere solo una guida esperta può fornire. Notizie storiche , artistiche, architettoniche e non ultime delle curiosità, che ho apprezzato molto. In una passeggiata di un’ora e mezza, nel nostro caso quasi due, a causa delle condizioni meteo, siamo partiti da Piazza Castello, per proseguire poi per le Cinque Vie, Vecchia Milano, Piazza Missori, Piazza Duomo, La Galleria, via Montenapoleone, Brera per poi rientrare da dove eravamo partiti. Emanuela è chiara ed esaustiva nell’esposizione. Nello spirito del My Urban Trekking tiene un passo sostenuto, fornisce audioguide e auricolari che vengono testati alla partenza della passeggiata e in questo modo l’Urban Trekker passeggia in autonomia, tenendo sempre d’occhio la sua guida e si perde nella città, ascoltandone i racconti, in un sù e giù per la storia, l’arte (splendidi i palazzi Liberty di via Spadari), le curiosità e meravigliandosi per tutte le scoperte fatte. Lo consiglio a tutti. Ho coinvolto anche i miei familiari che sono rimasti entusiasti del nostro Trekking Urbano, tanto che parteciperemo anche al prossimo appuntamento in Stazione centrale. Consigliatissimo!
Complimenti Emanuela!
Veronica Marcantonio, Milano / ItalyL’arte di raccontare ... l’Arte! Ho avuto modo in più occasioni di apprezzare l’abilità con cui Emanuela cattura l’attenzione di grandi e piccoli. Quando le visite guidate sono pensate per famiglie, trovo sia alquanto difficile riuscire ad essere esaustivi e rispondenti alle aspettative di ciascuno.... Non se la guida è Emanuela. L’ottima preparazione unita al talento di saper raccontare anche le più sconosciute delle leggende e curiosità, fanno di ogni visita con Emanuela, un successo garantito!
Monica Santinato, Cormano (Milano) / ItalyUnsere Vorstandsreise nach Mailand wurde von Frau Terzi perfekt vorbereitet und durchgeführt.
Peter Liesen, Bundesverband der Deutschen Süßwarenindustrie e.V. - Bonn / GermanyEmanuela è un'ottima guida. Ciò che la contraddistingue, oltre alla sua preparazione, conoscenza e professionalità è l'empatia che trasmette. Girare con lei per Milano è come andare “a braccetto” con un’amica… Ti appassioni per quello che ti illustra… Se conosci Milano ti fa scoprire cose che non conoscevi… Se non conosci Milano te la fa amare… Grazie Emanuela...
Tiziana Antichi, Milano / ItalyContact
