Viale Beatrice d'Este

Massive, impressive and slightly mad: the cathedral is a late Gothic confection in white marble, festooned with spires and statues. You can admire the facade free from the piazza; getting inside or onto the roof involves three separate queues that may take over an hour, unless you book online. First locate the ticket office: it's along the street on the cathedral's south flank but has been known to wander, with various pop-up outlets. Here you queue #1 to pick up a number to queue #2 for the ticket desks. Buy your ticket, which will be for a specific time slot that day. When that time approaches (and off-peak it could be immediate) join queue #3 at the cathedral door for security and ticket check. There's a tedious list of what is and isn't allowed. Despite this list, shorts which end just above the knee are indeed allowed. Short-shorts are prohibited. Small backpacks are allowed (there is a bag check station). The interior is just as impressive as outside, though if you hate it you'll be in distinguished company. The problem was that construction went on in fits and starts for over 500 years, with every ruler adding bits or disliking previous work. Then in 1805 the conquering Napoleon said "Get this finished tout de suite, and my treasury will pick up the bill" and lo! it was finished. (Though he never paid up.) The Crypt of St Charles is entered within the cathedral, no extra fee, it closes around 17:00. The Baptistery of St John (extra fee) is within the cathedral. The roof (extra fee) can be reached by a lift or by 250 steps. The museum (included in ticket, closed W) is in the adjacent Church of St Gottard in Corte. It displays the story of the construction, with walk-in wooden models, façade designs from several centuries, sculptures and more.

A must-see! A stunning fully frescoed renaissance church. Most of the paintings are the work of Bernardino Luini.

A beautiful and huge Romanesque church which was almost destroyed by allied bombing in World War II, although some of its mosaics left well preserved.

A lovely 4th-century basilica, perhaps is one of the oldest basilicas in Western Europe. It is famous for its beautiful courtyard, with Roman-age columns and statue of the emperor Constantine. The Colonne di San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence's columns) are actually a remain of the Roman "Mediolanum", dating from the 3rd century AD. Further south the square you can see Medieval Porta Ticinese (there is also a homonymous newer gate which lies about 600 m south by Corso di Porta Ticinese).

Historical library that also houses the Ambrosian art gallery with treasures such as Leonardo Atlantic Codex.

Roman antiques from Milan and the surrounding area.