Milan is the commercial and financial center of Italy. Historically, it prospered because of its command of trade routes across the Alps and the plains of the Po River Valley. The city can boast one of Europe’s most spectacular Gothic cathedrals, plus a wealth of masterpieces, including “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci. La Scala hosted the premieres of Verdi’s “Nabucco” and Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” and “Turandot.” Most of the famous Italian fashion brands are headquartered in the city.

Recommendations for Milan

• Though the luxury grocery stores in many European cities have become tourist haunts, Peck in Milan is still frequented by discriminating residents. They come for its outstanding prepared food, exceptional cheese and charcuterie counters, and a small but excellent wine department. The casual Peck Italian Bar is perfect for a light lunch. Via Spadari 9.
• The 15th-century Santa Maria presso San Satiro itself is small, but the interior seems much larger as a result of the extraordinary architectural perspective created by Bramante in the choir behind the main altar. This optical illusion is regarded as one of the first, and most remarkable, uses of trompe l’oeil in the history of art. Via Torino 17-19.
• Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” is in the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, but the Biblioteca Ambrosiana houses the “Portrait of a Musician,” which many scholars believe to be a Leonardo and some consider a self-portrait. The library also contains the “Codex Atlanticus,” a 12-volume set of Leonardo’s drawings and writings on subjects as diverse as flying machines, weaponry and musical instruments. Piazza Pio XI 2.