Shopping

From Piazza Duomo, Corso Vittorio Emanuele is a pedestrian street lined with some smart shops, making for a pleasant stroll.

But the full-blooded fashion district starts from the other end, from Piazza San Babila.

In fact Via Montenapoleone is home to some of the top names, and the surrounding streets share the same refined, stylish atmosphere, with superb window displays that are always entertaining.

Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Sant'Andrea, Via Gesù, Via Santo Spirito, Via Borgospesso and Via Manzoni offer the greatest concentration of chic, but also the museum Palazzo Bagatti Valsecchi, Via Santo Spirito 10, that extends right through to Via Gesù 5, with a lovely courtyard constructed in Renaissance style during the 19th century.