Milan is the second largest city in Italy, as well as its financial and fashion center. It is also a hub for national and international travel boasting the country's largest international airport, most rail connections, and most modern subway system. It is a modern, cosmopolitan city with no shortage of cultural highlights. The city center has many good museums and a particularly good selection of world-class art exhibitions and individual pieces. The Brera Gallery is an international treasure house, on par with the Uffizi Gallery in Florence or London's National Gallery; and Michelangelo's last work, the extraordinary Pieta Rondanini, in the civic galleries of the Sforza Castle, is a surprise find for many of the city's visitors. And if you tire from the great shopping, artistic treasures, and fine dining, you can hop on a train and in less than an hour enjoy a relaxing day by one of the large lakes just outside the city.
Known for its diverse regions, rich culture, and fabulous food, boot-shaped Italy possesses perhaps the most instantly identifiable physical shape of any country in the world. You can visit Roman ruins, gawk at Renaissance art, stay in tiny hill towns, ski the Alps, explore the canals of Venice, and see more churches than you can imagine. Naturally, you can indulge in the elementary pleasures of good food, improving your wardrobe, and seeking out "la dolce vita." From its beaches to its Alpine mountains, Italy vibrates with a special soul that is reflected in its people, music, and art.
