Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square), Milan (must see)

The gigantic central piazza, milling with people and pigeons, is awe-inspiring, with the Museo del Novecento being a particularly impressive sight. No cafés spill onto it, but the historic Camparino is tucked under the porticoes, created by the founder of the Campari dynasty in 1867. It was here, at the entrance to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, that Verdi used to enjoy a drink after concerts and where, in 1877, Milanese nobility flocked to see the first experiment in electric lighting. It was also here, in this Art Nouveau interior, that stressed Milanese still relax over a coffee or Campari, served with over-sized olives.

The Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) on the south side of the Duomo stands on the site of the original Broletto or town hall, destroyed by Frederick Barbarossa in 1162. It was rebuilt in 1171, then later transformed into the Ducal Palace for the Visconti and Sforza dynasties. On the occasion of Galeazzo Visconti’s marriage to Beatrice d’Este in Modena, their entry into Milan was marked by eight days of festivities at the palace. In 1336 the Church of San Gottardo in Corte was built as the Visconti’s private chapel. You can still see the charming colonnaded campanile rising to the rear of the palace, but the church itself was destroyed when the building was incorporated into the neoclassical palace. In 1412 the church steps were the scene of the murder of Giovanni Maria Visconti; as a consequence, the family decided to reside in the safer environs of the fortified castle. Under the Sforza a theatre was established at the palace, and in 1595 Mozart, who was only 14, performed here.

Another unmissable landmark in the piazza is, of course, Ercole Rosa's 1896 equestrian statue of Vittorio Emanuele II, first king of Italy, who triumphantly entered Milan in 1859.