Milan is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city in Italy after Rome, with the city proper having a population of 1,372,810 while its metropolitan area has a population of 3,242,820. Its continuously built-up urban area (that stretches beyond the boundaries of the Metropolitan City of Milan) has a population estimated to be about 5,270,000 over 730 square miles. The wider Milan metropolitan area, known as Greater Milan, is a polycentric metropolitan region that extends over central Lombardy and eastern Piedmont and which counts an estimated total population of 7.5 million, making it by far the largest metropolitan area in Italy and the 54th largest in the world. Milan served as capital of the Western Roman Empire from 286 to 402 and the Duchy of Milan during the medieval period and early modern age. Milan, is a global capital of fashion and design. Home to the national stock exchange, it's a financial hub also known for its high-end restaurants and shops. The Gothic Duomo di Milano cathedral and the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent, housing Leonardo da Vinci's mural 'The Last Supper,' testify to centuries of art and culture. Milan is considered a leading alpha global city, with strengths in the field of the art, commerce, design, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, services, research and tourism. Its business district hosts Italy's stock exchange and the headquarters of national and international banks and companies. In terms of GDP, it has the third-largest economy among European cities after Paris and London, but the fastest in growth among the three, and is the wealthiest among European non-capital cities Milan appears to have been founded around 600 BC by the Celtic Insubres. Ruled by the Caesars, Napoléon, the Austro-Hungarians and Mussolini, Milan has an ancient and fascinating cultural history. Mercantile Milan invented the idea of the city-state and the Edict of Milan (AD 313) ended the persecution of Christians. Art collections old and new mark the genius of old masters and provoke new conversations about where the world is headed. Prestigious nights at La Scala and an illustrious literary heritage are balanced by a diverse contemporary music and publishing scene. In short, Milan is so much more than its image as a puritanically work-obsessed city. Since Leonardo da Vinci broke all the rules in his stunning Last Supper, the indefatigably inventive Milanese seem to have skipped straight from the Renaissance to the 21st-century. Not only is Milan a treasure trove of 20th-century art, but art deco and rationalist architecture abound. Today the city leads the way with the largest post-war re-development in Italy, impressive, sustainable architecture and a futuristic skyline modelled by Zaha Hadid, Daniel Libeskind and César Pelli. And there's more to come with ambitious plans to mould the city into a hi-tech hub, home to the likes of Google, Microsoft, Alibaba and Apple. Though Italian design is world renowned, its roots lie in 1930s Milan - seeing it in a home context offers fresh appreciation. A visit to the Design Museum is a wonderful way to pay homage to the work of Italy's best and brightest. In addition, Milan is home to all the major design showrooms and an endless round of trade fairs. And it's not just insiders who have all the fun. Milanese fashion houses have branched out into spas, bars, hotels, galleries and restaurants. So, why not join them for a touch of la vita moda (the stylish life). Milanese cooking is a product of a rich urban culture. Just note the golden hue of its quintessential dishes: cotoletta (burnished, buttery veal) and saffron risotto. It was in powerful commercial cities such as Milan that Italy's great cuisine was born, marrying Mediterranean fruits, spices and herbs with cooking methods, pastry techniques and eating styles from France and central Europe. Even today Milan continues to push Italy's culinary boundaries, making sushi and dim sum their own, and holding the highest number of Michelin stars in the country. Milan's top tourist destinations are as follows :: 1. Duomo, Cathedral of Milan - is the cathedral church of Milan, Lombardy, Italy. Dedicated to St Mary of the Nativity (Santa Maria Nascente), it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Archbishop Mario Delpini. The cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the largest church in Italy (larger then St. Peter's Basilica is in the State of Vatican City), the third largest in Europe and the fourth largest in the world. 2. Castello Sforzesco - Sforza Castle - It was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. Later renovated and enlarged, in the 16th and 17th centuries it was one of the largest citadels in Europe. Extensively rebuilt by Luca Beltrami in 1891-1905, it now houses several of the city's museums and art collections. 3. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Italy's oldest active shopping mall and a major landmark of Milan, Italy. Housed within a four-story double arcade in the center of town, the Galleria is named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. It was designed in 1861 and built by architect Giuseppe Mengoni between 1865 and 1867. 4. The Fashion District - Quadrilatero della Moda or Via Montenapoleone fashion district, is a high-class shopping district in the center of the city of Milan, characterized by the presence of numerous boutiques and related retail outlets which represent most of the world's major fashion houses. This area is regarded by numerous experts in the fashion industry such as Vogue, to be one of the most or even the most important fashion district in the world. 5. Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore is a church in Milan. It was originally attached to the most important female convent of the Benedictines in the city, Monastero Maggiore, which is now in use as the Civic Archaeological Museum. The church today is used every Sunday from October to June to celebrate in the Byzantine Rite, in Greek according to the Italo-Albanian tradition. It is also used as concert hall. 6. Brera Art Gallery is the main public gallery for paintings in Milan. It contains one of the foremost collections of Italian paintings, an outgrowth of the cultural program of the Brera Academy, which shares the site in the Palazzo Brera. 7. Teatro alla Scala aka La Scala is an opera house in Milan. The theater was inaugurated on August 3, 1778 and was originally known as the Nuovo Regio Ducale Teatro alla Scala (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performance was Antonio Salieri's Europa riconosciuta. Most of Italy's greatest operatic artists, and many of the finest singers from around the world, have appeared at La Scala. The theater is regarded as one of the leading opera and ballet theaters in the world and is home to the La Scala Theatre Chorus, La Scala Theatre Ballet and La Scala Theatre Orchestra. The theater also has an associate school, known as the La Scala Theatre Academy (Italian: Accademia Teatro alla Scala), which offers professional training in music, dance, stage craft and stage management. 8. The Navigli (canals) were a system of navigable and interconnected canals around Milan, Lombardy, Italy. The system consisted of five canals: Naviglio Grande, Naviglio Pavese, Naviglio Martesana, Naviglio di Paderno, Naviglio di Bereguardo. The first three were connected through Milan via the Fossa Interna, also known as the Inner Ring. The urban section of the Naviglio Martesana was covered over at the beginning of the 1930s, together with the entire Inner Ring, thus sounding the death knell for the north-eastern canals. Commercial carrying continued on the Naviglio Grande, but the decline was steady and by the 1960s a project of a fluvial port to reach the Po River and consequentially the Adriatic Sea through the canals was shelved for good. Today, the canals are mostly used for irrigation. The only two canals who operate a tourist navigation system connected to the Darsena are the Naviglio Grande and the Naviglio Pavese, also becoming a nightlife pole. 9. Porta Nuova and Corso Como - Corso Como is a pedestrian and commercial street in the center of Milan. About 280 meters long, it connects Piazza XXV Aprile with the Porta Garibaldi station. Through the square it is connected, to the south, with Corso Garibaldi, with which it forms a long pedestrian promenade. The number of shops, markets and galleries to see here are staggering. Porta Nuova is one of the main business districts of Milan, Italy in terms of economy, and part of the Zone 2 administrative division. In the new Porta Nuova district you can see the contrast between the traditional streets with their yellow plaster-covered buildings (a color supposedly chosen to simulate the color of stone - once the most prestigious building material - seen at sunset) and the latest symphonies in steel and glass, including Italy's tallest building, reaching 231 meters in height. The Porta Nuova business district is a redevelopment that has created new pedestrian areas, cycle paths, a public park, and the innovative 'Vertical Forest' buildings clad with trees. Milano's state-of-the-art architecture and its vibrant nightlife scene come together amongst the skyscrapers of Piazza Gae Aulenti and Corso Como - the perfect place for gazing in awe at the Vertical Forest and enjoying with friends. 10. Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' - is a late 15th-century mural painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci housed by the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. It is one of the western world's most recognizable paintings. The work is presumed to have been started around 1495-96 and was commissioned as part of a plan of renovations to the church and its convent buildings by Leonardo's patron Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. The painting represents the scene of the Last Supper of Jesus with his apostles, as it is told in the Gospel of John, 13:21. Leonardo has depicted the consternation that occurred among the Twelve Apostles when Jesus announced that one of them would betray him. Due to the methods used, a variety of environmental factors, and intentional damage, very little of the original painting remains today despite numerous restoration attempts, the last being completed in 1999. 11. Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio is a church in Milan, northern Italy. One of the most ancient churches in Milan, it was built by St. Ambrose in 379-386. The church is mostly built in brickwork of different origins and colors, with parts of stone and white plastering. The current Romanesque church was begun around 1080. The nave dates to about 1128 and the rib vaults of the nave are from about 1140. The Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio is one of the most beautiful examples of Romanesque architecture in Lombardy. 12. The 'Leonardo da Vinci' National Museum of Science and Technology is the largest science and technology museum in Italy, and is dedicated to Italian painter and scientist Leonardo da Vinci. It was opened on 5 February 1953, inaugurated by prime minister of Italy, Alcide De Gasperi. This museum, in the ancient monastery of San Vittore al Corpo of Milan, is divided in seven main departments: Materials Transport Energy Communication Leonardo da Vinci, Art & Science New Frontiers Science for young people Each of these departments have laboratories especially for children and young students. The Transport section in made by four different parts: air, rail, water and Submarine Enrico Toti-S-506. This unique place offers the thrill of delving into a submarine, climbing aboard a steam engine, uncovering the secrets of Space and admiring Leonardo da Vinci models all in one place: the renowned Science and Technology Museum.