Sophistication reaches new levels in Milan. The financial and
commercial centre of Italy attracts fashion fundis, opera lovers,
the young, the beautiful and the bold. Shopping, eating and
clubbing is serious business here and it is no surprise that the
city boasts the world's most beautiful shopping mall, the Galleria
Vittorio Emanuele II. Equally vying for admiration are the Milanese
icons of La Scala Theatre (Teatro della Scala) and the Gothic
Duomo, one of the world's largest churches. Milan's frenetic pace
surges ahead in its drive towards progress, forsaking the lengthy
siestas enjoyed in other parts of the country. The city's urban
tentacles stretch for miles, although the significant historical
attractions are contained between the two landmark sites - the
Duomo and the Sforzesco Castle. These reside within the inner loop
of the city's concentric design, which is split into four squares:
Piazza Duomo, Piazza Cairoli, Piazza Cordusio and Piazza san
Babila. The modern civic centre lies to the northwest, around
Mussolini's colossal train station built in 1931. The area around
here is dominated by a skyline of skyscrapers from which the sleek
Pirelli Tower emerges. The Fiera district that stretches around
Porta Genova station is the nub for trade and fashion fairs.