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MILAN

Six things to do in Milan in April 2024

As Italy shakes off the winter gloom once and for all, it’s time to see what Milan has in store for both residents and visitors this April.

Published: 29 March 2024 13:04 CET
Milan, spring
A view of Milan's Porta Nuova district in May 2020. Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP

April is generally considered one of the best times of the year to be in Milan as the northern city leaves behind the short days, grey skies and cold temperatures of the winter season and enjoys warmer and sunnier conditions while still being a good distance away from the humid heat of the summer months. 

But it’s not just better weather making life in Milan sweeter in April as a host of cultural events and opportunities pick back up all around the city, helping both residents and visitors shake off the winter blues once and for all. 

Run in the Milan marathon

If you’re a competitive runner, you’ll have until Thursday, April 4th to book your spot in the 2024 edition of the Milan marathon, which is set to start at 8.30am on Sunday, April 7th.

But if you’re looking for something a bit easier than a 42-kilometre race across central Milan, three parallel events will take place on the day: a non-competitive relay marathon with profits going to national or international NGOs, a 3-kilometre family run and a dog run, where participants will run alongside their pet friends.

But the Milan marathon won’t be your only chance to work up a sweat this month: there are a number of running routes around town, including a 38-kilometre trail along the Naviglio Martesana canal, that can be fully enjoyed as local weather improves.

Get into a museum for free

Milan opens several museums and cultural sites for free on the first Sunday of every month as part of the popular nationwide Domenica al Museo (or ‘free museum Sundays’) scheme.

‘Free’ sites on Sunday, April 7th will include the world-famous Pinacoteca di Brera gallery and the Last Supper Museum. Note that for some of the most popular venues you may need to book your free visit ahead of time.

Brera, Milan

A view of Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera gallery in April 2023. Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP

If you’re not going to be in Milan on April 7th, don’t worry: the city has plenty of cultural sites that are completely free to visit all year round, including Palazzo Morando, the Museo delle Culture’s (Mudec) permanent collection and the Risorgimento Museum.

Go to a flea market

Milan is known all over the world for its haute couture stores, but is also a great city to be in if you’re a fan of second-hand and vintage finds. 

There’s a wealth of excellent markets scattered all across the city, with East Market Milano being one of the best in town (you’ll find anything from vintage clothes and furniture to old video games and records).

Other popular markets that are worth checking out are: Tra Noi e Voi near Piazza Repubblica, Il Mercatino di Brera and Dock 41 in Novate, just outside the city.

READ ALSO: How to use Milan’s public transport

You can also expect both sides of Milan’s popular canals (navigli) to be lined with market stalls on the last Sunday of each month, including Sunday, April 28th.

Learn about the latest home design trends at the Milan Furniture Fair 

If you’re short on inspiration on how to decorate your new Italian home or simply like to keep up with the latest home design trends, the Milan Furniture Fair (or Salone del Mobile) – a yearly benchmark event for the international furnishing and design sector – may just be what you’re looking for. 

The exhibition, currently in its 62nd edition, will run from April 16th to April 21st at the Rho Fiera complex, with installations being open to the general public on Saturday, April 20th and Sunday, April 21st.

Milan, Furniture

People visit the stand of Finnish brand Nikari at the Milan Furniture Fair in April 2023. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

This year’s fair will also include a “dreamlike” installation from renowned filmmaker David Lynch. 

Get lost in Milan’s Modern and Contemporary Art Fair

Art enthusiasts will get a chance to see a collection of 20th- and 21st-century masterpieces from up close this month as the 2024 Miart – the annual Milan trade fair for modern and contemporary art – will return to the Allianz-MiCo Center, west of the city centre, from April 12th to April 14th.

This year’s edition will see the participation of some 181 art galleries from as many as 28 countries around the world, with ‘no time no space’ being the underlying theme of the displays.

Info on this year’s artwork and tickets can be found here. 

Visit one of the local ‘house museums’

Milan is home to a number of precious house museums (or case museo): historic family residences that have been turned into exhibition spaces offering a rare insight into the personal and social lives of their original owners as well as the cultural nuances of their times.

The Necchi-Campiglio Villa, a luxurious 20th-century residence known for its marble art deco features, is a good place to start your tour, especially as its lush magnolia-dotted garden makes for an idyllic place to wind down on a sunny spring day. 

Conveniently, you can visit the Necchi-Campiglio Villa and three other popular house museums (Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Casa Museo Boschi Di Stefano) with a single 25-euro ticket.

Have we missed out your favourite April event? Let us know in the comments below.

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MOVING TO ITALY

How can you find an apartment to rent in Milan?

With its thriving job market and international allure, Milan is one of the most popular Italian cities for foreigners to move to, but finding a place to rent can be complicated.

Published: 18 April 2024 13:03 CEST
Updated: 21 April 2024 08:07 CEST
How can you find an apartment to rent in Milan?

With its wealth of job opportunities and international appeal, Milan is one of the most popular Italian cities among foreigners.

The northern economic powerhouse is home to over 475,000 foreign nationals (around 14.7 percent of the city’s total population), including ​​a sizeable group of native English speakers.

But high demand for accommodation, high prices (monthly rent in the city comes at an average of around €25 per square metre – that’s over €12 above national average) and housing shortages all make finding a place to rent a challenging task.  

Italian rental contracts

Before actually starting to look for an apartment, it’s generally advisable to get familiar with Italy’s most popular rental agreements, or contratti di affitto in Italian. 

Excluding tourist lets (contratti turistici), which range from a minimum of one day to a maximum of 30 days, the shortest available rental agreement is the transitory contract, or contratto di locazione ad uso transitorio. 

This lasts a minimum of one month up to a maximum of 18 months, and comes with an important caveat: you’ll need to specify and prove that you have a specific, non-tourism-related reason for your temporary stay, like an apprenticeship, a short-term work contract, or degree program. 

If you’re a student attending a university, you may also be able to sign a student contract (contratto di locazione per studenti universitari), which can last between six months and three years.

Two tenants pictured inside their flat in January 2021

Two tenants pictured inside their flat in January 2021. Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP

Finally, if you’re looking for longer-term agreements, you have two main options: 

  • Unrestricted contract (contratto a canone libero). This lasts for four years, with an automatic option to renew for four more. The rental price is freely set by the landlord.
  • Determined contract (contratto a canone concordato). This lasts for three years with an automatic option to renew for two more. Rent in this case is set by the relevant municipality (or comune) and cannot be negotiated.

For further info on both of the above contracts, see our article on the topic.

Regardless of which type of contract you sign, you should always make sure there’s a clause that allows you to move out after a specified notice period (this is usually a full six months).

Using an agency

Once you’re familiar with the types of contracts available, you can start your search. 

Milan has plenty of agenzie immobiliari that can help you find your future home, with some specialised in assisting international customers (for instance, Renting Milan).

These agencies will do the work of finding and connecting you with potential properties, and negotiate the terms of the contract on your behalf. They may also know about some properties before they hit the open market, giving you a leg up on the competition.

But there are some downsides too. Properties let through rental agencies can be more expensive, as the owners must cover the costs of their own fees to the agency.

READ ALSO: How much does it cost to live in Milan in 2024?

Further, rental agencies will generally take a commission equivalent to one or two months’ rent from the tenant, which can make initial expenses rise very fast when added to the apartment’s security deposit (usually two months’ rent).

Searching online

If agency fees look a little too steep – or if you just want to explore every option – there’s an increasing number of online rental portals that you can check out.

These sites often offer a mix of properties proposed by rental agencies and apartments rented directly by owners. Some of the most popular ones for renting are Idealista, Immobiliare, Casa and Bakeca. 

All work more or less the same way: select your area, filter by cost, number of rooms, and other details, and see what’s available.

Quite conveniently, some of these websites feature maps showing statistics on rental price per square metre by neighbourhood. This can be useful to ‘zone in’ on certain areas of the city or simply to judge whether the rent being requested by a landlord is reasonable. 

Rental prices by neighbourhood in Milan.

Rental prices by neighbourhood in Milan. Screengrab from Immobiliare.it

You’ll also find listings posted on classifieds sites like Subito, and even on Facebook groups like Milano Easy Renting and Affitti Milano, though most posts will be in Italian (some key Italian renting vocabulary can be found here). 

If you do use social media for your search and find yourself dealing directly with landlords, it’s generally advisable that you keep an eye out for scams at all times. As a rule of thumb, you should never hand out money without visiting the apartment and signing a contract first.

Finally, if you’re ever unsure about the legitimacy of a listing or have any other doubts about a specific apartment or neighbourhood, seeking out advice from people already living in the city is generally well worth the effort.

How much can I expect to pay?

Renting in Milan doesn’t come cheap. 

According to data from property market portal Wikicasa, monthly rent in the city comes at an average of around €25 per square metre – that’s nearly €7 over Lombardy’s average, and more than €12 higher than national average. 

But rent can be as high as €60 per square metres in the more central areas (Duomo, Cadorna, Cordusio, Castello Sforzesco, etc.).

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

According to Numbeo estimates, renting a one-bedroom flat in the city centre will set you back over €1,400 a month on average, while renting the same type of flat in the outskirts will come at an average monthly price of around €950.

If you have any suggestions on how to find a place to rent in Milan, please share them in the comments section below. 

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