Meraviglioso, Milano! More Than Fashion And Football

You can quickly judge where a person's priorities in life lie simply by mentioning the name of Milan. In most cases, they will respond by talking of the city's contributions either to the world of fashion or of football.

That's fair enough, of course. If you're interested in either of those worlds, then the names Armani, Dolce, Versace, Maldini, Pirlo, and Baggio will mean something to you. If you had to Google those names to work out which one dressed Liz Hurley and which one was a linchpin of the defense of the early 90s, you may be thinking Milan hasn't got much for you. You'd be wrong.

Milan has got a little bit of something for everyone. It would be unfair to think of it as just fashion and football when there are cultural, culinary, and architectural wonders aplenty. If you need any further convincing, just read on.

Music

Anyone with a love of classical music will be attracted to Milan for one name above all others - La Scala. This famous opera house opened in 1778, and its first performance set the scene for centuries of world-class music.

• It was an opera by Antonio Salieri, but La Scala may be most famous for a performance by an Australian.
• Towards the end of the 19th century, the legendary Dame Nellie Melba had a performance that wrote her into history.
• At La Scala, her recitation of Lucia di Lammermoor was greeted with a full ten-minute ovation.

Having already built a reputation, winning over La Scala sent her into the pantheon of greats.

Art

Pick any major city, and you will find somewhere that has a connection to the Renaissance. In Milan, that connection is as strong as any you may find elsewhere.

• The Leonardo da Vinci Museum is filled with the works of arguably the world's greatest artist of all time.
• The convent of Santa Maria della Grazie is home to the mural of da Vinci's The Last Supper.