Archive for 'Milan'

We have previously discussed various spots to shop if you have found a vacation rental in Milan. As the fashion capital of a nation famous for being chic, Milan obviously has no shortage of cool places to get a bit of a sartorial fix while exploring the city. From vintage boutiques, to trendy concept stores, to streets of high street favourites, to bustling local markets, to stunning flagship stores of some of the most beloved designer labels in the world, there are all sorts of incredible places to shop in Milan. However, if you love colour and have a particularly playful sense of style, then one perfectly curated little gem of a boutique that you should definitely make time to see while on vacation in Milan has to be Wait and See.

Wait and See is a clothing boutique that is located on a pretty little street right in the heart of the historic core of Milan, on Via Santa Marta. Housed in an 18th century building that was a convent in a former life, this vibrant and exciting store was opened back in 2010 by the discerning Uberta Zambeletti who curates a treasure trove of gorgeous objects from all over the world. From new to handmade to vintage pieces of clothing, accessories, jewellery, stationery, homewares, small gifts, and more, sourced from everywhere from the UK to California, Zambeletti’s store is bursting with colour and surprises and unexpected gems at every turn. The shop itself is also utterly full of colour and character and interesting decor and is a wonderful space in which to browse for something really special, making the whole experience of coming here memorable and enjoyable.

Though Milan is famous as a fashion capital of the world, those who have found a luxury villa in Lombardy or a vacation rental in Milan itself, and who are looking to bring a little bit of Italian style home with them, might not know exactly where to head for the best shopping experiences in the city. We have previously put together a guide to some of the city’s most beloved and best vintage boutiques and stores but for those in the market for an upmarket purchase to remember their trip by, an investment piece to indulge in on a special occasion, a little taste of the designer lifestyle, or simply some excellent window-shopping and people-watching, then a visit to the main shopping street of Milan, Via Monte Napoleone, is a must. The third most expensive street in Europe and home to stores for Gucci, Moncler, Roger Vivier, Bulgari, Versace, Armani, Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Prada, Saint Laurent, Rolex, Cartier, Dior, Burberry, Tod’s, Fendi, and many more luxury brands, it is an upscale shopping street that will make fashion-lovers googly-eyed with excitement. So, whether you have the budget to directly shop in this neighbourhood yourself or you simply want to see how the fashionable set of Milan live and dress with your own eyes, be sure to take a wee stroll in this gilded part of the city...

There are endless reasons to find a vacation rental in Milan as it is the fashion capital of Italy, a cosmopolitan gem full of incredible bars and restaurants, home to some rather extraordinary architectural feats both very old and very new, boasts some brilliant museums and attractions, and more. However, for those who are interested in the life and work of one Leonardo Da Vinci there are particular attractions in town that will appeal and a long list of traces of the artist-inventor all over the city that are just waiting to be discovered. One can easily spend a whole holiday just following his trail and seeing how he is still felt all over Milan today.

Why is Milan home to such an array of buildings, monuments, places, artworks, and more that are connected to the Tuscan-born Da Vinci, you may ask? Well, that is because the city was his home for two different periods during his lifetime, from around 1482 to 1499 and then again from 1508 to 1513. While his Last Supper in the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie is, undoubtedly, his most famous extant piece in the city, Da Vinci worked on all sorts of projects while in Milan, particularly for Ludovico Sforza who later became Duke of Milan and to whom Lorenzo de’ Medici sent the Renaissance master as an ambassador.