Explore Milan, Brescia, Bergamo, Monza

MILAN is the capital of the Lombardy region in northern Italy and is the wealthiest city in Italy. It is the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. 
Italian is the official language of the country, and also, the most widely-spoken language. However, majority of the people speak English as well.
The euro is a robust international currency, and dollar bills have no advantage over euros in Italy. In fact, it's a complete pain for an Italian business to exchange foreign cash, and they will also lose a lot of money on the exchange.

Milan is worth visiting for its abundance of historical, cultural, and architectural landmarks. Music fans will love the famous theater La Scala; architecture buffs – the imposing Duomo Cathedral; art lovers – the fantastic Pinacoteca Brera; and luxury shoppers – the glamorous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Among one of the most important Gothic buildings in the world, the Duomo constructed over a period of 450 years is the symbol of Milan. To experience the Duomo at its most majestic, you must ascend to the roof. Milan is a very walkable city.

In addition to Milan, there are main cities that preserve the traces of centuries of art and culture; Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona, Monza, and more. Lombardy is the Italian region with the largest number of UNESCO Sites 

Milan is one of the main art cities of Italy. New installations and temporary exhibitions are the order of the day, while the museums that crowd the metropolis are always open. 
Milan is known as the entertainment capital for its vast array of nightclubs, bars and lounges – everything you need to experience the ultimate Italian nightlife scene. If you are looking for the best nightlife in Italy, this is one of the top cities to go.

It's one of the fashion capitals of the world. By the latter half of the 20th century, Milan was a prominent industrial city with good manufacturing connections. Designers turned to this Italian fashion mecca for its trend-setting status, especially after 1961 when it was the headquarters of Vogue Italia. The most renowned high-end streets in Milan are Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga. This part of the city is packed with high-end boutiques and brands like Prada, Gucci, Moschino, Versace and Bulgari.

As a northern Italian region, Lombardy relies on rice and polenta much more than pasta as a daily staple. However, it is still prevalent, often coming in the form of tortelli or stuffed pastas which are rich with egg, butter and cheese or served in meaty broths. Milan offers a cuisine featuring many truly distinct flavors. Make sure that you don’t miss out on several of the city’s best and most typical dishes.

•    Risotto alla Milanese.
•    Panettone.
•    Ossobuco.
•    Costoletta alla Milanese
•    Minestrone alla milanese
In Italy, unless sold on the street or “al taglio” (sold in rectangular or square slices by weight), it's always round and served on a plate. 2. You cut the pizza yourself and then eat it with a knife and fork, the most common way, or fold each slice and eat it with your hands. The pizza I had in Brescia at Pizzeria LA FILIALE was the best.

The easiest way to order coffee in Italy is to simply ask for, “Un caffè per favore.” This translates to “a coffee please,” and you'll get a lovely cup of espresso – or caffè. If you're hoping for an American style “drip” coffee – you're out of luck. It simply doesn't exist in Italy. The closest you can get is by ordering Italy's best take on American style coffee – the “caffè americano.” This is basically just a shot of espresso that's been diluted with hot water.

The Lombardy region is one of the richest in attractions in Italy. The area between Switzerland and Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, and Piedmont, offers countless destinations for day trips from Milan.

Back in the spring of 2020, the cities of Bergamo and Brescia were hit the hardest by the arrival of the pandemic (Italy’s first coronavirus patients were registered there). The two were subsequently designated to be the Capital of Culture for 2023 shortly thereafter, as a symbol of hope for brighter days ahead. 

BRESCIA

Lunch at Nineteen Restaurant
Visit and tasting to Bellavista Winery
Visit and Aperitivo at ALBERETA
Dinner at Pizzeria LA FILIALE

BRESCIA is 95km from Milan and located at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo. 

With a millennial history, Brescia is an intriguing place to visit especially if you have an interest in Ancient Rome and its architecture, culture, and art.

Founded over 3.200 years ago, Brescia has been an important regional center since pre-Roman times. Its old town contains the best-preserved Roman public buildings in northern Italy and numerous monuments, among these the medieval castle, the Old and New cathedral, the Renaissance Piazza della Loggia, and the rationalist Piazza della Vittoria. Piazza Paolo VI, Via Musei, Brixia

The monumental archaeological area of the Roman forum and the monastic complex of San Salvatore-Santa Giulia have become a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of a group of seven inscribed as Longobards in Italy, Places of Power.

An episcopal see, Brescia is noted for the art treasures housed in its numerous churches, its picture gallery (Pinacoteca Tosio-Martinengo), and its medieval museum. Heavily represented are the painters of the 15th- and 16th-century Brescia school. Notable among the churches are the 8th-century church of S.

Brescia is an important industrial city. Metallurgy and production of metal parts, machine tools and firearms are of economic significance, along with mechanical and automotive engineering. Brescia is home to the prestigious Mille Miglia classic car race that starts and end in the town.

Brescia cuisine has developed a lake fish culinary tradition over the years, thanks to the proximity of Lake Iseo, a bountiful source of fresh fish. In Lake Iseo over 23 species swim its waters including trout, perch and pike. Lake Garda is home to to pike, trout and rare carpione – a fish that can only be found in Lake Garda. I had a fabulous seafood lunch paired with Franciacorta wine at Nineteen Restaurant in Brescia.

The province is known for being the production area of the Franciacorta sparkling wine, as well as the main source of Italian-produced caviar. Brescia with her territory was the “European Region of Gastronomy” in 2017.

In Brescia they are proud to produce 10 DOCG and DOC wine – those that have been specially classified to recognize the quality and authenticity of the production methods.
The most famous of these is DOCG (controlled and guaranteed designation of origin) classified sparkling white variety – Franciacorta. The wine is made to the traditional method with two fermentations, the last in the bottle, and aged at least 18 months.
Franciacorta takes on the quality of the region’s rich mineral soil and is made from a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot blanc grapes. The process was demonstrated at Bellavista Winery to our team followed by wine tasting.

I had no idea Italy produced fine caviar until visiting Brescia. But it makes sense now. An abundance of fresh spring water in the region’s Po River valley provides the perfect conditions for farming sturgeon for caviar.

Calvisius Caviar pride themselves on respecting their environment and sturgeon which, in turn, yields a superior product. Fish are reared for 12 years before the caviar is extracted using manual methods. This ensures the caviar is creamy and delicate. It is perfectly matched with the local Franciacorta sparkling wines.

BERGAMO 

Tuk Tuk Tour in Bergamo Citta Alta.
Passing by Sentierone and Teatro Donizetti, visit to Palazzo Terzi, Piazza Vecchia Campanone and Basica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Lunch at Il Baretto in San Vigilio
Hotel Le Funi
Villa Pagnoncelli
Hotel San Rocco
Trescore Baineario
Affreschi di Lorenzo Lotto at Orotorio Suardi
Dinner at Villa Redona Medolago Albani

BERGAMO is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Milan, and about 30 km (19 mi) from Switzerland. Bergamo is the second most visited city in Lombardy after Milan.

It was the home of the Celts (people from Central Europe) before the Romans took over (in about 49 BC). It became a Roman municipality and an important hub on the military road between Friuli and Raitia. It was subsequently invaded by Attila the Hun in the 5th century. 

Under Venetian rule, Bergamo was the westernmost fortress town of the Venetian Republic’s empire. In addition to the Milan/Venice border, Bergamo sat at an important crossroads between the Venetian Republic, German lands north of the Alps, and other Italian city states. The Venetian walls were built in 1561-1623 to discourage Milanese northward expansion, as well as to limit contraband trade, forms the historic center of Bergamo. Bergamo was one of the most important of the strong points fortified by the Venetian state in the 16th century, through its position at the end of the chain, in acting as the true shield of all the other cities. The Republic of Venice was a sovereign state and maritime republic in Northeast Italy, which existed for a millennium between the 8th century and 1797. Venezia became a part of Italy in 1866.

The town has two centers: "Città alta" (upper city), a hilltop medieval town, surrounded by 16th-century cyclopic defensive walls, and the "Città bassa" (lower city). 
Due to its wealth of historical buildings, numerous museums, and ancient architecture, Bergamo is most famous for its medieval atmosphere and culturally rich Italian experiences. The city is also well-known for being situated on a mountain, with a distinct upper and lower city. In the center of Bergamo at the end of the 19th century, Città Bassa was composed of residential neighborhoods built along the main roads that linked Bergamo to the other cities of Lombardy. We took a tour of the upper and lower cities of Bergamo on a Tut Tut that was provided with a blanket to keep us warm.

Bergamo is a city of churches, and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is sandwiched between the Cappella Colleoni and Bergamo's cathedral. Constructed from the 12th-century onwards, the church is said to have been built by men who prayed to the Virgin Mary when a plague broke out in 1100.

Bergamo is the birthplace of Donizetti, one of the world’s five greatest opera composers. You can trace the life of this XIX Century musician starting from his native house in Upper Bergamo, admiring his mementos at the Museo Donizettiano, at his grave in the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, and at the city theatre, named after him, where each season Donizetti’s greatest successes are performed and praised.

Bergamo is a real masterpiece of history, culture, music, and landscape, with a medieval heart on top of a hill surrounded by the majestic Venetian Walls, an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Casoncelli alla bergamasca is a traditional Italian stuffed pasta dish originating from Bergamo. Polenta, however, is perhaps the most well-known food in Bergamo, with delicious variations that pair perfectly with stewed and roasted meats. After lunch at Il Baretto in San Vigilio, the restaurant owner, served us the most delicious panettone. 

MONZA

Monza downtown walking tour
Duomo of Monza
Visit at Villa Reale
Lunch at Hotel de la Ville
Guided walking tour of Milan
Dinner at Hotel Milano Melia

MONZA is a city and commune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about 20 km (12 miles) north-northeast of Milan.

Monza is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, which hosts the Formula One Italian Grand Prix with a massive Italian support tifosi for the Ferrari team. The circuit sits in a beautiful public park in the heart of Monza. It also hosts one of the most beautiful ancient royal residences of the Lombardy. 

Monza is a lovely town to visit not too touristy and has all the required facilities, nice restaurants etc., the train station is very near the center where you can catch a train to visit Lake Como and Milan city.

On our walking tour, we visited Monza’s gorgeous Romanesque-Gothic Duomo or main church which has foundations dating to about the year 600. The museum inside is wonderful, and houses the city’s most famous treasure: the Iron Crown, allegedly made with one of the nails from the crucifixion.  

We walked pass the city’s landmark, called the arengario, which is a historic structure built in the 14th century and was used as the town hall. On a 2-block detour we walked over the pretty Bridge of Lions or Ponte dei Leoni. 

The Royal Villa, which is also called the Palace of Monza, is neoclassical palace built by the Habsburgs as a private residence during the Austrian domination of the 18th century. It became the residence of the viceroy with the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy but it lost this function progressively during the Kingdom of Italy of Savoy, the last Royals to use it. Nowadays, it hosts exhibitions.

After our walking tour of Monza, we had lunch at Hotel de la Ville which, on this FAM trip, was my best gastronomy experience in the Lombardy.