Overlooking Piazza del Duomo, with fabulous views of the cathedral, is Mussolini's Arengario, from where he would harangue huge crowds in his heyday. Now it houses Milan's museum of 20th-century art. Built around a futuristic spiral ramp (an ode to the Guggenheim), the heady collection includes the likes of Boccioni, Campigli, Giorgio de Chirico and Marinetti.
Ascend the spiral ramp and begin your exploration of chronologically arranged rooms, which take you from Volpedo's powerful neo-impressionist painting of striking workers, Il quarto stato, through to the dynamic work of futurist greats such as Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carra, Gino Severini and Giacomo Balla. The collection then continues on to the Italian Novecento, abstractionism and Arte Povera, before finishing up with kinetic art, pop art and large-scale installations. Aside from the general coherence of the collection, it provides a fascinating social commentary on Italy's trajectory through fascism, two world wars and into the new dawn of the technological era.
Other than the exceptional collection, the museum also houses Giacomo Arengario, a top-notch bistro located on the 3rd floor, from where you can enjoy excellent views of the Duomo.
