Annually, nearly 100 million people pass through these hulking portals and onto train platforms beneath a cinematic cylindrical glass roof. Begun in 1912 but finally realised between 1925 and 1931, the station's extraordinary design is flush with the nationalist fervour that marked Mussolini's rule. Most of the overtly fascist symbolism has been removed or obscured but the deco-tinged neo-Babylonian architecture can hardly hide its intent.
©Stephanie Ong/Lonely Planet
Stazione Centrale
Milan
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
2.16 MILES
Milan's most famous mural, Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, is hidden away on a wall of the refectory adjoining the Basilica di Santa Maria delle…
1.67 MILES
A vision in pink Candoglia marble, Milan's extravagant Gothic cathedral, 600 years in the making, aptly reflects the city's creativity and ambition. Its…
1.24 MILES
Behind striking Renaissance-revival black-and-white walls, Milan’s wealthy have kept their dynastic ambitions alive long after death with grand sculptural…
1.27 MILES
Located upstairs from one of Italy’s most prestigious art schools, this gallery houses Milan’s collection of Old Masters, much of it ‘lifted’ from Venice…
1.29 MILES
A stroll around the Quadrilatero d'Oro, the world's most famous shopping district, is a must even for those not sartorially inclined. The quaintly cobbled…
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16.16 MILES
One of the Italian Renaissance's most notable buildings is the splendid Certosa di Pavia. Giangaleazzo Visconti of Milan founded the monastery, 10km north…
1.65 MILES
Originally a Visconti fortress, this iconic red-brick castle was later home to the mighty Sforza dynasty, who ruled Renaissance Milan. The castle's…
1.73 MILES
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…
Nearby Milan attractions
0.19 MILES
Construction began in 1956 on Milan’s tallest grattacielo (skyscraper). The 32-storey Pirelli Tower sits on the site of the company’s 19th-century factory…
0.43 MILES
Lombardy’s regional headquarters, this glinting, 161m, glass-and-steel skyscraper was the city’s first audacious step towards the contemporary skyline…
0.58 MILES
Against a backdrop of shimmering skyscrapers and the Bosco Verticale, this modern urban park bustles with activity. Sprawling lawns, a rich variety of…
0.6 MILES
In the shadow of the Bosco Verticale, you’ll spot a neon sign stating boldly ‘Do Not Kill’. It seems odd in this quiet corner, but it serves the ‘House of…
5. Casa Museo Boschi-di Stefano
0.61 MILES
Milan’s most eccentric museum of 20th-century Italian painting is crowded in a 1930s apartment that still has the appearance of the haute-bourgeois home…
0.69 MILES
Stefano Boeri’s ‘Vertical Forest’ consists of two high-rise apartment blocks whose many reinforced balconies overflow with around 700 trees and 20,000…
0.76 MILES
Italy’s tallest skyscraper (231m) is home to its largest bank, Unicredit, which occasionally allows the public to visit its dramatic top-deck viewing…
0.77 MILES
Join locals sightseeing at this landmark square named after Italy's most famous female architect. The linchpin of Milan’s Porta Nuova regeneration project…