More than 2,700 years old, Milan is not just the capital of Italy's northern region of Lombardy — it is also the country's epicentre of finance and fashion.

Milanese culture includes shopping, and money-makers, models, artists and actors intermingle in the flagship stores of Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Versace. The rest of Milan's population regularly enjoys world-class opera, theatre and dance at the fabulous La Scala, in operation since 1778 and deemed to be the most acoustically perfect theatre in the world. Milan's gothic Duomo took nearly 500 years to finish and houses 3,200 statues. Milan is also home to Leonardo da Vinci's battered Last Supper, completed in 1497 and located at the Church and Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. During Napoleonic rule and the 17th century, several important pieces of art were gathered from suppressed religious institutions and housed at Milan's Brera Palace for study. Today, major works from Caravaggio, Bellini, and Raphael can be found at what is now the Brera Palace and Picture Gallery.