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MILAN

Five of the best ‘hidden’ sites to visit in Milan this weekend

Italy’s usually inaccessible cultural sites will open their doors to the public this weekend as part of a National Trust initiative. Here are five unmissable places to visit in Milan if you’re in town.

Piazza Duomo in Milan
A number of 'hidden' cultural sites in Milan will open their doors to the public on March 25th and 26th. Photo by Ouael Ben Salah on Unsplash

The popular Giornate FAI – nationwide open days held twice a year by Italy’s National Trust (Fondo Ambiente Italiano, FAI) – will be back on this weekend, with a wealth of usually inaccessible historical sites opening their doors to the public on March 25th and 26th.

From private villas and gardens to castles, abbeys and libraries, all of Italy’s major art cities – Venice, Verona, Rome, Florence, Bologna and so on – will give residents and international visitors a unique chance to see some of their lesser-known heritage sites free of charge or, in some cases, via small donations (generally around three euros).

And, while it might not share the artistic cachet of some of the above-mentioned cities, Milan will also have plenty to offer for the occasion as some of its ‘hidden’ artistic gems will be open to all for 48 hours. 

So, from monumental city buildings to private mansions, here are the best five places to visit in the northern capital this weekend.

Palazzo Marino

Lying just a short walk away from the Duomo and facing the iconic Piazza della Scala, Palazzo Marino is one of the best examples of Mannerist art and architecture in the country. 

READ ALSO: Metro, bus or tram: How to use Milan’s public transport

Built between 1557 and 1563 at the behest of wealthy local banker Tommaso Marino, the palace has been the seat of Milan’s town hall since 1861.

But, despite their current administrative functions, Palazzo Marino’s rooms are still home to invaluable sculptures and paintings from Italian art masters, including Giambattista Tiepolo. 

The palace also boasts one of the best courtyards in the city.

Palazzo Arcivescovile 

Sitting right behind the Duomo and facing Piazza Fontana, Palazzo Arcivescovile has been the seat of Milan’s archdiocese since the early 14th century. 

READ ALSO: Seven things to do in Milan on a rainy day

All of the palace’s spaces will be open to the public over the weekend, from the majestic staircase that survived World War II bombings to the Curia’s courtyard and the first-floor chapel with its Renaissance-inspired fresco paintings.

Casa di Riposo per Musicisti

The Casa di Riposo per Musicisti (literally ‘Care Home for Retired Musicians’) was built in the late 19th century at the behest of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, who intended it as a shelter for “elderly singers who have not been favoured by fortune”.

Verdi crypt in Milan

A crypt (above) within Milan’s Casa di Riposo per Musicisti holds the remains of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP

The building, which faces Piazza Buonarroti in western Milan, is one of the best Italian examples of neo-Gothic architecture and among the best works of architect Camillo Boito.

The Casa di Riposo also displays a number of personal items and manuscripts which belonged to Verdi himself.

Ippodromo di San Siro

The San Siro area is mostly known for the iconic Meazza Stadium, which is home to local football teams AC Milan and Inter Milan. 

READ ALSO: What are the best Milan neighbourhoods for international residents?

But the city’s hippodrome is also located in the neighbourhood.

Bronze statue at the entrance of Milan's Hippodrome

The entrance of Milan’s San Siro Hippodrome features a large-scale bronze horse by artist Nina Akamu. Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP

Built in the early 20th century, the venue is known for its exquisite Liberty architecture and for the verdant gardens surrounding the racing tracks.

Jockeys’ changing rooms and the saddling area will be accessible to the public over the weekend.

Istituto dei Ciechi

The Istituto dei Ciechi (literally ‘Institute of the Blind’) is an Eclectic-style building located in the Porta Monforte area, just north-east of the city centre. 

Built as a school for blind people in the late 19th century, the institute has undergone various changes over the decades but has retained most of its original artworks, which include fresco paintings from Ferdinando Brambilla and Celso Stocchetti.

The building has also been home to the Louis Braille Museum since 2009 and its Salone Barozzi, which boasts one of the first Italian-made pipe organs, is regularly chosen as the venue for prestigious international concerts.

For further info about the above sites and bookings, visit FAI’s (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) website.

Member comments

  1. La ‘Casa di Riposo per Musicisti’ was the paragon for a lovely movie made in 2012 by Dustin Hoffman, called “Quartet”. ‘Hoffman cited Il Bacio di Tosca’, as a direct inspiration for his 2012 film. “Il Bacio di Tosca is a 1984 film directed by Daniel Schmid, a documentary of life in the Casa di Riposo per Musicisti of Milan, the world’s first nursing home for retired opera singers, founded by composer Giuseppe Verdi in 1896. The New York Times review called it “Bravissimo!” (from Wiki).

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TOURISM

How Airbnb is changing its rules on cameras from May 2024

Airbnb is tightening up its rules on security cameras inside properties listed on its website in a move intended to give guests more privacy.

How Airbnb is changing its rules on cameras from May 2024

People who advertise short-term lets on Airbnb will soon be required to remove all indoor cameras from their listings under a company-wide rule change designed to prioritise guests’ privacy, the company announced in a recent blogpost.

Until now, Airbnb has allowed security cameras in common spaces such as hallways and living rooms, “as long as they were disclosed on the listing page before booking, clearly visible and were not located in spaces like sleeping areas and bathrooms,” the company noted in its statement.

“The update to this policy simplifies our approach and makes clear that security cameras are not allowed inside listings, regardless of their location, purpose or prior disclosure.”

The rule change is set to come into effect on April 30th, to give hosts time to update their properties and listings in compliance with the new policy.

Hosts will still be able to use outdoor surveillance cameras in gardens and driveways, provided they disclose the presence and location of each one, and they do not face in to film inside the property. 

The change follows years of reports of guests finding secret cameras in their Airbnbs in various countries. In 2019, The Atlantic published an article titled ‘Airbnb Has a Hidden-Camera Problem’.

Last summer, a Texas couple brought a $75,000 lawsuit against an Airbnb host after they discovered multiple hidden cameras disguised as smoke detectors in the defendant’s bedroom and bathroom.

READ ALSO: How Italy is planning to limit Airbnb rentals

In the company’s blogpost, Airbnb spokesperson Juniper Downs said the changes were made “in consultation with our guests, Hosts and privacy experts,” and would “provide our community with greater clarity about what to expect”.

But while some of the site’s users may welcome the change, others have taken to the Airbnb’s Community Center to criticise the new policy, with some hosts saying having cameras in the common spaces of their shared homes offered them a measure of security.

Speaking with Canadian broadcaster CBC, former Ontario privacy commissioner Ann Cavoukian commented that the reform won’t do anything to prevent hosts who were breaking the company’s existing rules by installing hidden cameras from continuing to do so.

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