I had already experienced Naples, Rome and Florence before I ever stepped foot in Milan. My travels up the Italian boot gave me certain ideas about Italians and their cities, mostly that each has its own personality. The idea of all Italians as one definable group is actually a rather new one; the various kingdoms and city-states only unified in 1870. Italians still define themselves much more as a products of their hometowns or regions than as a citizens of Italy.

When I came to Milan, I had witnessed the contained chaos of Naples, the modern/ancient mix of Rome and the artistic pride of Florence. Milan is a different animal from them all. Perhaps the city’s proximity to Switzerland imposes an order and efficiency missing in those other cities. Perhaps years of fashion contributions have made the Milanese appear that much more elegant and put-together than other Italians. Milan’s long history at the junction of trading routes has helped the city evolve into an international business center.

My first visit to Milan coincided with the murder of fashion icon Gianni Versace in Miami. Versace embodied an Italian story that bridged geography and class. So many of the children of the agricultural south have come here seeking economic security. There’s a palpable north-south tension in Italy, best illustrated by the Lega Nord, the right-wing political group that favors a secession of northern Italy from the south. Many northerners feel that the south is sucking up the money that the north is making. Versace, the son of a seamstress in Reggio Calabria, at the tip of the boot, came to Milan and made his mark on the world.

Although Milan had lost one of its biggest stars, I saw few expressions of grief or shock at Versace’s death, save for the newspaper headlines at the tabacchi and the signs on a few store windows. The Milanese went about their business. I sensed that they were much too practical to get caught up in the news of the day, although I can imagine that behind closed doors the death of an icon made for conversation over a cappuccino.

I’m always more conscious of what I am wearing when I am in Milan.

You’re almost always confronted by some sign of the fashion industry in this city, whether it be a store window or billboard or the knock-off handbags someone is selling on the streets. Of course, twice a year, hordes of fashion writers descend on Milan for all-important fashion shows revealing the fashion rules and must-haves for the next season.

The Milanese give thought to what they are wearing. Even the old men, long past retirement, wear beautiful suits just to visit the bank or post office. There’s an order in Milan-accepted rules for presentation and conduct.

Of course, Milan also has much to offer in the way of art, churches and monuments. This is, after all, the home of da Vinci’s The Last Supper. For the Milanese, beautiful creations are just a fact of life. They don’t feel the need to brag or bring undue attention to them. The most impressive of these city icons is the Duomo. This giant cathedral impresses even the most jaded visitor. Close by, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping arcade evokes the ghosts of a bygone era.

Yet, for me, the highlight of all my visits to Milan remains the night I spent at La Scala, the altar at which opera lovers worldwide wish to pray. My friend’s brother arranged for tickets to see Tosca. No matter that those tickets were for last-row seats, the experience transformed me into an opera buff. I have yet to attend another opera where the audience booed and hissed. For the most part that night, the performers received screams of “brava” and clapping, but the Milanese take their opera seriously and weren’t afraid to berate those performers who disappointed them. I couldn’t help but laugh with relief that I had finally caught the polite and refined Milanese letting it all hang out.

Teatro all Scala has been closed since 2002 for renovations. Reopening night is planned for this Dec. 7. That’s when, for me, Milan will be complete again.

Hotels

You will have little trouble finding a hotel near the center of Milan (the Duomo, fashion district), but you might pay a bit for the privilege. If you’re in town for business or some serious shopping, proximity might be worth the extra money. Since Milan is such a business center, most hotels cater to the needs of businesspeople. More modern, hip hotels are joining the classics on the city’s hotel scene. Trendy hotel restaurants are also on the upswing.

Four Seasons Hotel Milano
For those seeking the ultimate in luxury and service, the Four Seasons Hotel Milano is the clear favorite. Located in the center of the city, within walking distance of the fashion district and the Duomo, this former 15th century convent offers 118 guestrooms and suites surrounding a peaceful, landscaped courtyard. Guests can enjoy the finest of northern Italian
cuisine without leaving the hotel. Executive Chef Sergio Mei, winner of the 1998 award for Italian chef of the year, oversees the menus at the hotels’ two restaurants, Il Teatro and La
Veranda. Business travelers can take advantage of a full-service business center as well as conference and meeting space. There’s also a fitness center.
Four Seasons Hotel Milano,Via Gesù, 6/8
Milan, Italy, tel 39 02 77088, fax 39 02 7708 5000
www.fourseasons.com

The Gray
If you’re looking for a stylish place to rest your head, look no further than The Gray, one of Milan’s newest hotels, across the street from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Its 21 modern rooms each have a CD and DVD player, highspeed Internet connection and two ISDN lines with voicemail. Two of the suites feature in-room gyms. Le Noir, the hotel’s small restaurant, is hot with fashionistas.
The Gray,Via San Raffaele 6, Milan, Italy
tel 02 7208951, fax 02 866526,
www.hotelthegray.com

Hotel Manzoni
Shopping guru Suzy Gershman, author of Born to Shop Italy, counts the three-star Hotel Manzoni among her favorite hotels in the city. With an enviable location near all of the best stores, as well as reasonable prices, the Manzoni has much to offer. The 49 rooms and three suites are tastefully decorated and some even have terraces. The hotel also offers breakfast as part of the room rate; perfect for those preparing for an intense day of shopping!
Hotel Manzoni,Via Santo Spirito 20, Milan, Italy
tel 39 02 7600 5700, fax 39 02 784212
www.hotelmanzoni.com

Park Hyatt Milan
An elegant boutique hotel set in a palatial, classical building that dates from 1870, Park Hyatt Milan is just steps away from Piazza dei Duorno and Teatro alla Scala opera house. The hotel borders Milan’s famous Galleria, and is within walking distance of the ultrachic shops in Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga. The 177-room hotel is also close to Milan’s Stock Exchange and Financial District. Hotel facilities include a spa, gym, 2-hour room service, business center, technology concierge, complimentary wireless Internet access in public spaces and airport limousine service.
Park Hyatt Milan,Via Tommaso Grossi 1, Milan, Italy
tel 39 02 8821 1234, fax 39 02 8821 1235
www.milan.park.hyatt.com

Restaurants

Let’s face it, eating well isn’t a challenge in Milan. You’re in Italy, after all. Expect to feast on local specialties such as polenta, risotto, osso buco (braised veal shank) and cotaletta alla milanese (veal cutlet, breaded and sauteed in butter). While Milan has numerous traditional dining options, its role as an international player means there are more and more ethnic restaurants cropping up on the dining scene.

Boeucc
Boeucc, which opened in 1696, is Milan’s oldest restaurant. Once just a basement establishment, Bouecc gets its name from the old Milanese word for hole. Now the restaurant is a favorite with businesspeople who come here for the classic décor, smooth service and typical Milanese cuisine. Entrées include osso buco, saffron risotto and penne al branzino e zucchini (with sea bass and zucchini sauce). Leave room for dessert since the gelato di castagne con zabaglione caldo (chestnut ice cream with hot zabaglione) is mouthwatering. Reservations recommended. Lunch not served on Sundays.
Boeucc, Piazza Belgioso 2, Scala, Milan, Italy
tel 02 7602 0224, www.boeucc.it

Nabucco
A favorite of the post-theater crowd and travelers in the know, Nabucco offers scrumptious food in a relaxing setting. Inside or out on the terrace, diners eat by candlelight while listening to soft music. Try the freshly made tortelli (a stuffed pasta and regional specialty).
Nabucco,Via Fiori Chiari, 10-Milano Brera, Milan, Italy
tel 02 86 06 63, fax 39 02 83 61 014, www.nabucco.it

Joia
For a lighter meal, head to the very chic Joia. Chef Pietro Leeman revises his vegetarian menu every three months. Leeman gives his dishes, such as purple tagliolini with spring vegetables or pumpkin soup, whimsical names like Elogia alla Sicilia (Eulogy to Sicily). The restaurant is decorated with cherry wood and Japanese lanterns. There’s a three-course lunch special for about $30. Joia is closed on weekends.
Joia,Via Panfilo Castaldi 18, Porta Venezia
Milan, Italy, tel 02 2952 2124

Nightlife

All the bankers and fashionistas need somewhere to blow off steam from their high-pressure jobs, right? Thus Milan’s nightlife might remind visitors more of New York than of the nocturnal offerings of any other Italian city.

In fact, one of the newest nightspots is the Blue Note jazz club, inspired by the Greenwich Village club of the same name. For information on who is playing and to order tickets, visit
www.bluenotemilano.com. (Via Borsieri 37, tel 02 6901 6888)

I just love bars in stores (like the 5th floor at Harvey Nichols in London), so I’m a fan of the sophisticated and slick Martini Bar in the back of Dolce & Gabbana’s menswear shop. It’s open for lunch and cocktails until 9:30 p.m. The perfect venue to celebrate that new pair of shoes. (Corso Venezia 15, tel 02 7601 1154)

If dancing is your thing, head to Roialto in a former industrial warehouse. The tunes churn until 3 a.m. (Via Piero della Francesca 55, tel 02 3493 6616)

Shopping

Few cities in the world are as synonymous with fashion and shopping as Milan. Whether you’re looking for the Gucci dress you saw on the fashion-show runways or ready to drop some euros for beautifully crafted leather shoes, Milan can fulfill all of your shopping fantasies.

Milan’s best stores, such as Valentino and Giorgio Armani, can be found in the Quadrilatero, which encompasses streets such as Via Monte Napoleone, Via Sant’Andrea, Via della Spiga and Borgospesso. Be sure to be dressed to impress when you enter the big-name shops; all your fellow shoppers and the service people will be. However, don’t plan a shopping extravaganza for a Monday: Most stores in Milan don’t open until after lunch (3:30 or 4 p.m.) on that day.

If you’re willing to forgo the absolute latest styles, but still want designer duds, take a train/taxi combo or hire a car to take you The McArthur Glen Designer Outlet at Serravalle. You’ll find deep discounts at stores such as Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Versace. (tel 0143/609000, www.mcarthurglen.it)

Attractions

The Duomo, the largest Gothic structure in Italy, cannot be missed. (Piazza del Duomo, tel 02 8646 3456)

Sometimes called Milan’s Il Salotto (Living Room), the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, a 19th century, glass, tunnel-shaped shopping arcade is considered a symbol of the city. Piazza del Duomo.

Restoration is finally complete on da Vinci’s The Last Supper, housed in the former Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Reservations required to view the painting. (Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie 2, Sant’Amborgio, tel 02 8942 1146)

For more heart-stopping artwork, visit Pinateca di Brera (Brera Gallery), 39 rooms of Italian achievements including the very moving Cristo Morto (Dead Christ) by Mantegna. (Via Brera 28,
Brera, tel 02 722631, www.brera.beniculturali.it)

View Michaelangelo’s unfinished Randanini Pieta at the Castello Sforzesco. (Piazza Catello, tel 02 8646 1404,www.milanocastello.it)

Exploring the Region

While Milan offers plenty to stimulate the senses, there’s nothing like getting out into the Italian countryside. My choice for a day trip from Milan is a visit to stunning Lake Como. This azure-colored expanse of water backed by lush hills and snow-covered Alps has inspired such notables as Verdi, Rossini, Lord Byron and Stendhal. The long, narrow lake seems to cast a spell of peace and relaxation on all who visit.

Several trains an hour make the journey from Milano Centrale to the town of Como some 50
minutes away. While Como (which rests on the southern tip of the lake) itself has a lovely lakeside promenade worth exploring, be sure to get on a boat for the trip to Bellagio, the town in the center of the lake, considered to be one of the most beautiful in Europe. A ferry trip from Como to Bellagio takes two hours; a hydrofoil ride runs about 40 minutes. Both give you the chance to take in the sites as you make your way to the middle of the 30-mile-long lake.

Bellagio makes the perfect destination for a leisurely, lakeside lunch. Those with an interest in gardens will want to visit Villa Melzi and Villa Serbelloni. Ferries can also take you a short distance to the surrounding towns of Varenna and Mennagio. Most visitors go to Varenna, a former fishing village, to see Villa Monastero’s most impressive garden. Mennagio is a popular starting point for hikes and is also home to Villa Carolotta, once a lavish private home now owned by the Italian government.

If you decide that Lake Como merits a return trip and you’re prepared to splurge, book a room at Villa d’Este (www.villadeste.it), one of the most luxurious hotels in the world. The villa itself took 45 years to build and was once owned by Caroline of Brunswick (wife of England’s King George VI). Many of the elegant furnishings date back to the days when Napoleon was a guest here. Villa d’Este has two swimming pools: one inside next to the indoor tennis courts, and one outside that has been engineered to float out on the lake. The hotel is in the town of Cernobbio, a few miles from Como. For more information, visit www.lake como.org.

Travel Tip: Remember that if you spend a certain amount of money at an individual store, you can get the value-added tax back when you leave the European Union. Ask the salesclerks for more information and the forms you need to process at the airport.