From Allianz MiCo to the Duomo

Leaving Allianz MiCo behind, you step directly into CityLife, one of europe’s most ambitious urban renewal projects. The heart of the area is the CityLife Shopping District, a vibrant commercial hub nestled in greenery and framed by three iconic skyscrapers.

The central plaza is fully pedestrianized and spans multiple levels, seamlessly blending retail spaces with the second-largest public park in central Milan. Don't miss ArtLine, an open-air contemporary art trail featuring permanent outdoor installations by renowned international artists.

Leaving the cutting-edge modernity of CityLife, the route joins Corso Sempione, a historic tree-lined avenue laid out during the Napoleonic era in the style of Parisian boulevards. At No. 33 stands a true hidden gem of 20th-century Milanese architecture: Palazzo INA, designed between 1953 and 1958 by Piero Bottoni.

The standout feature is its extraordinary concierge entrance—a space that transcends mere functionality to become a refined work of spatial art. Bottoni conceived this entrance as a transparent hinge between the public street and the private building. 

This is one of Milan’s most majestic and evocative neoclassical monuments. Construction began in 1807 to designs by architect Luigi Cagnola to celebrate Napoleon Bonaparte’s victories. However, following the fall of the French Empire and the Congress of Vienna, work was halted, only to be resumed by the Austrians, who dedicated the arch to the European peace forged in 1815.

Dominating the top of the structure is the famous "Sestiga della Pace" (Chariot of Peace), an impressive cast-bronze sculpture featuring a chariot pulled by six horses led by the Goddess of Peace, flanked at the four corners by personifications of Victory on horseback. A curious historical detail: the Austrians decided to rotate the horses 180 degrees from the original design, turning their backsides toward France as an ironic cheeky nod to the defeated French!

Passing beneath the Arch of Peace, you enter Parco Sempione, the undisputed green lungs of Milan’s historic center. Created in the late 19th century on land previously used as the parade grounds for Sforza Castle, the park was designed by architect Emilio Alemagna in the style of a classic English landscape garden.

The layout features winding paths, wooded groves, sweeping lawns, artificial hillocks, and a central pond brimming with aquatic wildlife, creating a convincing illusion of natural countryside right against the city's structured grid. Highlights inside the park include the Arena Civica Gianni Brera (a neoclassical stadium opened in 1807), the Triennale di Milano inside the Palazzo dell'Arte (a shrine to design and visual arts), and the charming Ponte delle Sirenette

Nestled in the greenery of Parco Sempione stands Torre Branca, a masterpiece of structural steel engineering designed by the legendary Gio Ponti and inaugurated in 1933 for the 5th Triennale.

Standing just over 108 meters tall, the tower was erected in a remarkable two months using flanged and bolted special steel tubes. Its hexagonal, truncated-pyramid shape balances visual weightlessness with extreme structural strength. Known for decades as Torre Littoria, it was restored and reopened to the public in the 1990s thanks to the historic Milanese brand Branca. Today, a modern panoramic elevator whisks visitors to the covered observation deck at the top in seconds.

Emerging from the park's shaded pathways, the grand red-brick facade of Sforza Castle comes into view—one of the largest and most fascinating urban fortresses in Europe. Built in the 14th century by the Visconti family as a defensive stronghold, it was transformed in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza into a lavish Renaissance ducal residence, enriched by artistic contributions from titans like Leonardo da Vinci and Bramante.

After enduring centuries of sieges, alterations, and damage under Spanish and Austrian rule, the complex was saved from demolition in the late 19th century and masterfully restored by architect Luca Beltrami, who also reconstructed the iconic Filarete Tower on the main entrance. Today, the castle welcomes visitors with vast courtyards like the Corte Ducale and the Rocchetta. It serves as a world-class museum complex housing ancient art collections, Leonardo’s frescoes in the Sala delle Asse, and the moving Pietà Rondanini Museum, home to Michelangelo’s final, unfinished masterpiece.

Leaving the Piazza Castello behind, the tour continues along Via Dante, one of Milan’s most elegant and lively pedestrian streets. Laid out in the late 19th century as part of a new urban master plan, the street was conceived as a grand scenic boulevard connecting the Sforza fortress directly to the financial and religious center of the city.

The street is lined with imposing Eclectic and Neo-Renaissance palaces adorned with wrought-iron balconies, terracotta decorations, bay windows, and grand inner courtyards. Today, Via Dante is a bustling promenade packed with fashion boutiques, historic venues like the Piccolo Teatro Grassi, bookstores, and outdoor sidewalk cafes.

At the end of Via Dante lies Piazza Cordusio, one of the metropolis’s most important and historically charged crossroads. Its name derives from Curia Ducis (the Duke’s court during the Lombard era), but the square's current elliptical layout dates to major urban developments in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the area became Italy's financial and insurance powerhouse.

The plaza is framed by grand Neoclassical and Eclectic buildings, including the former Post Office building (now a luxury retail hub), Palazzo Broggi, and Palazzo del Credito Italiano. At its center stands a bronze statue of poet Giuseppe Parini, overlooking the historic yellow trams crossing the tracks. In recent years, Cordusio has undergone a major pedestrian-focused revitalization, attracting top global brands and becoming a cutting-edge showcase for commerce and hospitality.

Stepping away from the bustle of Piazza Cordusio down adjacent side streets, you stumble into Piazza dei Mercanti, a square that has preserved its medieval charm almost completely intact. Created in the 13th century as the civic and commercial center of medieval Milan, it was originally rectangular and much larger, accessed through designated gates for different trade guilds.

The heart of the square is dominated by the Palazzo della Ragione (or Broletto Nuovo), built in 1233, whose open ground-floor arcades once hosted law courts and merchant negotiations. Surrounding the square are other remarkable historic structures: the Loggia degli Osii (with its black-and-white marble facade where public decrees were proclaimed), the Scuole Palatine (a prestigious academy once attended by philosopher Cesare Beccaria), and the Casa dei Panigarola (a fine example of Gothic architecture used for notary offices). At the center of the cobbled square stands a 16th-century stone well.