ISABEL GARCÍA Italy
Italy
Updated Tuesday, March 26, 2024-00:27
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Milan is its
duomo
(or one of the largest Catholic cathedrals in the world), the monumental Vittorio Emanuele Gallery and the
Golden Quadrilateral,
where the boutiques of the most luxurious brands on the planet meet, one after another. So far, everyone agrees. But the
financial capital
of Italy (and business, commercial, fashion, design and, let's say, even gastronomy) goes much further. You just have to scratch a little to uncover a lesser-known side, the one that hides Caribbean-style neighborhoods (yes, Caribbean, keep reading), modernist palaces, vintage stores run by very close friends of
Versace
and even sculptures that send you straight to hell. Take a look at the photo below if not.
The 'comb' installed in front of the Stock Exchange.
Well, Milan is (also) all that and to discover it, step by step, hotels like the new
Avani Palazzo Moscova are in charge,
an innovative accommodation with a contemporary design built in a beautiful neoclassical building that housed the first train station in the city, designed by the engineer Giulio Sarti in 1864. It is located in
Puerta Nuova
, between the lively Corso Como and Garibaldi and a stone's throw from the bohemian Brera district, full of cafes, shops, galleries and museums. Among them, the famous homonymous picture gallery stands out, with one of the largest collections of paintings in the country with works by
Caravaggio, Tintoretto and Raphael.
On the outside, the hotel is imposing, yes, but on the inside its style is "fun and optimistic", as pointed out by its director, Baldassare Schembri, who thus summarizes the brand of the Avani house, belonging to the Minor Hotels group, focused on the
life seal.
style
and with more than 35 properties around the world. And what does this affable character translate into? In a
look
of casual staff,
individualized attention,
native cuisine in its Forte Milano restaurant (specializing in fish and seafood), a central location to
explore the city on foot
, a
yoga kit
in the 65 rooms for more clients. Zen...
Facade of the Avani Palazzo Moscova, former train station.
And all, without forgetting the origins of the property with black and white images and a huge panel with
train schedules
next to the
hall.
The
railway trail
continues in the spa, located in the original vaults of the old station. One piece of information would be missing: the Avani also seek to make the guest feel like another inhabitant through an
experience tour
that they organize in a personalized way in each destination. In Milan, the name,
Made in Italy,
leaves no room for doubt, as they seek the local essence.
Hence, the proposals leave aside the aforementioned
duomo
or the famous opera house of
La Scala
("any tourist can go there," adds Schembri) to enjoy a cooking course with recipes from the
nonna
(grandmother) in the house of a
foodie
couple , Valentina and Marco, or a
bike ride
or a
vintage
cinquecento tour through not very popular corners of the capital of Lombardy.
Forte Milano Restaurant.
The latter is handled by Federico Vaccari, a restless soul trained in Digital Marketing who has fun taking his impeccable
black family Fiat 500
for a walk through the streets of the city. The vehicle is not missing even a classic license plate with two photos of his mother from the 60s and the inscription
Non correre. Pensa a noi
(
Don't run. Think of us)
. "Everyone wore it then," he says, laughing.
During the time he lived in Holland, Vaccari learned to do
tourism differently
. "I offer unique experiences, not the typical tour," he notes as he heads to the first stop, the
Peace Arch
, started by Napoleon and completed by Emperor Francis I of Austria. "It is one of the most photogenic places in Milan," summarizes the guide, waving his very long yellow scarf.
Facade of the Berri-Meregalli palace.
The next address is the
Quadrilateral of Silence
(not Golden), a surprising oasis of aristocratic air, wide streets and astonishing tranquility around
Porta Venezia
, one of the historic gates of the metropolis. Oblivious to its hustle and bustle (hence the name), it is made up of several blocks dotted with majestic mansions in the
art deco
and
liberty style.
Built between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century to house the bourgeoisie that emerged after the
Industrial Revolution,
most of them house exclusive residences, "but there are also offices, law firms, architecture studios and house-museums that can be visited," the driver points out.
Like that of
Berri-Meregalli,
with friezes, bas-reliefs, stained glass, bizarre sculptures and zoomorphic gargoyles. Or that of Sola-Busca, called Ca' de l'Oreggia or
House of the Ear
because this is the shape of its horn sculpted on the door as a telephone. Other mansions such as
Villa Invernizzi
, on Via Capuccini, hide gardens through which stylish pink flamingos wander freely behind the gates. "You don't think there are places like that downtown," Vaccari says.
In 'cinquecento' through the Caribbean neighborhood of Milan.
It's time to get back in the car to see the most colorful neighborhood in the city, located between Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin streets
.
The two American presidents shelter a handful of blue, red, green or lilac houses that transport them to the Caribbean. The reason? Railway employees who worked nearby at the end of the 19th century wanted to embellish their rather modest homes with a touch of color. For this reason, this is now the neighborhood of the rainbow, of the gardens (every house has one) or
the Milanese Notting Hill
, remembering the striking architecture of the London district.
The motorized tour continues in Isola, one of those somewhat abandoned urban areas that was completely renovated after the landing of the headquarters of the Lombardy Region a few years ago. After it, came
futuristic skyscrapers
and offices of multinationals such as Amazon, IBM or Microsoft, decorated with street art everywhere and luxury residential blocks such as the
Vertical Forest,
covered with 800 trees of different species from three to nine meters high. It is an example of environmentally friendly architecture that defies gravity, for which it has won numerous awards.
Bike tour in front of the Vertical Forest.
We leave the tour to make a culinary stop with several recommendations. From the home cooking of the
Stendhal and Serafina osterias
(you have to try their stuffed pumpkin flowers and truffled ravioli, respectively) to
Gambero Rosso
classics such as
linguine
with lobster, beef tartare or osso buco with
risotto
. Tiramisu
cannot be missing from any of them
.
With hunger satisfied, a shopping route through premium vintage stores begins with the alternative tourism agency, Rban Tours. We already said that Milan is
the fashion capital
in Italy (and one of the main ones in the world)... We entered
Cavalli & Nastri
(Gian Giacomo Mora, 3), whose owner, Claudia Jesi, who died last year, was a pioneer in this field. "She started selling second-hand luxury when no one else did and today stylists from the most famous brands continue to come to us for inspiration," says salesperson Claudia Balestra among
Chanel bags,
Valentino dresses or Dolce & Gabbana jackets.
The 'vintage' Nastri & Cavalli store.
At
Candiani Store
(Piazza Mentana, 3), for their part, they make custom-made jeans with the
denim
of other garments, while at Vintage Delirium (Giuseppe Sacchi, 3), the collector Franco Jacassi sells jewelry from the 19th century or Versace ( his close friend),
Balenciaga, Armani and Fendi
to
celebrities
like Megan Fox or Kayne West. "When they come to Fashion Week, they always stop by here," says Gilberto Conde, a Mexican who runs Rban Tours with the Italian Sara Zarrillo.
On the way to the next store they stop in front of the controversial comb
-shaped sculpture
in
Piazza Affari,
whose title is
LOVE
. The reason is that, according to its author, Maurizo Catellan, it is "an act of love" in opposition to fascism and capitalism, since it is located in front of the
Milan Stock Exchange
, erected in the Mezzanotte Palace designed under the guidelines of Mussolini in 1927.
Emanuele Bisello, from Foto Veneta Ottica.
After the artistic section comes a visit to
Foto Veneta Ottica
(via Torino, 57), the
retro hiding place
of more than 2,000 glasses of all conditions and brands. "This figure only represents 5% of those on display; the rest are stored," says Emanuele Bisello, the third generation in charge of this curious optician
in the form of a labyrinthine museum
opened in 1931 by his grandfather Gabriele and continued by his father, Giorgio. Among its crowded display cases there are glasses worth up to 5,000 euros, such as round Dior ones with pearls. The genre is so valuable that the glasses shown in series and films such as
Murder on the Orient Express
or
House of Gucci
, with
Lady Gaga
, have come from here
.
The latest experience designed by Avani Palazzo Moscova arrives, a beauty workshop at
City Lab Cosmetics,
a state-of-the-art laboratory on Corso Garibaldi where its experts help create custom products while you enjoy a cocktail. "Milan lives for
design, fashion and aesthetics,
so it seems like the perfect plan to enjoy with friends," says Chiara, one of the clients.
Beauty workshop at City Lab Cosmetics.
She is going to
give life to a lipstick
(you can also make a cream, a serum or a makeup base), for which a
study of her features
is first carried out . Afterwards, she selects the textures, colors and fragrances that she likes the most until she finds her ideal bar, which comes out of the back laboratory of the store. "Passion red; I love it," says the young woman. End of the
Made in
Italy
tour . She would only have to return to the hotel for the
Milanese aperitif time
, around 7 in the afternoon, mind you.
PRACTICAL GUIDE
HOW TO GET.
Companies like Iberia fly to Milan from different points in Spain.
WHERE TO SLEEP. Avani Palazzo Moscow.
Elegant, modern and functional, the new accommodation from Avani, from the Minor Hotels group, rises above Milan's first train station. From €120. Web: www.avanihotels.com.
WHERE TO EAT. Forte Milano.
Avani restaurant specialized in fish and seafood.
Osteria Stendhal
. Traditional local cuisine with grandmother's recipes.
Gambero Rosso.
Dishes with sea flavor.
Osteria Serafina.
Cozy atmosphere with homemade classics.
One of the 65 rooms at the Avani hotel.
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