On our return trip from Romania, we took a few days from the 22nd to the 24th of September, to stay in Milan with our sons. The point was to relax a bit, before they took their return flight from Malpensa Airport back to the States, and to see a few of the sights. We were lucky enough this time to have had the luxury of purchasing tickets. That is, within six months of their use, in order to visit Da Vinci’s Last Supper and Crucifixion, two works by him that are the most difficult to see. Luckily, few people for various reasons are able to travel or visit these works now, making access to them more readily available. So we jumped at that chance when we saw tickets were in fact available.
I am not going to comment on Da Vinci’s work, but let his masterpieces speak for themselves.
Hotel Manzoni
Located in Milan’s Quadrilatero Della Moda section, this four star hotel can be found on Via Santo Spirito. Both outside and inside are quite compact and very well kept. There is a bellman to help with luggage and front desk that is occupied around the clock.
Our rooms were suites and rather spacious for being in the historic part of Milan. Most floors are decorated in marble with tastefully chosen chandeliers, some of which are from Murano.
Museum Cenacolo Vinciano
The museum is located in Piazza di Santa Marie della Grazie and contains the works of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper and Crucifixion.
Da Vinci’s Last Supper
Da Vinci’s Crucifixion
Legend:
- Christ
- Tito
- Dimaco
- St. Vincent Ferrer
- Ludovico il Moro
- St. Peter Martyr
- Virgin Mary
- St. Dominic
- Mary Magdalene
- St. Thomas Aquinas
- St. John
- St. Catherin of Siena
- Beatrice d’Este
- St. Maragaret of Hungary
Restaurants
Near Hotel Manzoni are several very good restaurants, as is per usual in most Quadrilateral sections of Italian cities. Since we did not have a lot of time to spend in Milan, the below two were identified and chosen based on customer reviews and not necessarily the most common ones used on the internet. Anyone visiting should expect the prices to reflect the food and the historic area they are in. Complaining about prices, when you probably should be eating street pizza, is just a waste of your time and money.
Il Salumaio Di Montenapoleone
Though it receives only a mid four star rating on one site in the internet, that should not deter anyone from visiting. Keep in mind, that if you are from a country like the U.S. or one similar to it from Europe, service times are not the same in Italy and may not match your expectations. Service usually takes around two hours, especially if you order wine and any other extras, but it is first rate. Dress is casual and the food and service are excellent.
Ristorante Bice
Also known as Da Gino e Bice (from Gino and Beatrice) or just Bice, this Tuscan inspired restaurant has been a mainstay of Milan cuisine for more than a century. The restaurant’s upscale interior matches its food. It is also situated in Montanapoleone on Via Borgospesso and a short walk from our hotel.
This restaurant has an excellent menu and wine list, though upon further inspection I found the wine list needing a bit of an update in the Barolo section. But we found an acceptable one nonetheless. Again, being in a very trendy area where Fendi, Prada and other stores are located, the prices reflect the location and the menu’s quality.