Spirits, witches and creatures of the night — Milan at Halloween is waiting for you!
Darkness invites you to their celebration of Celtic and pagan origin, which takes place every year on the night of All Saints’ Eve, in honor of the last autumn harvest before the freezing winter: darkness draws its curtain down on the world and the warm lights inside the carved pumpkins are lit.
Fear not, Halloween is also a way to celebrate light, even in the beautiful city of Milan, although the holiday is particularly felt and experienced in Anglo-Saxon countries and the United States.
But what to do in Milan for Halloween (and the surrounding area)?
We offer a range of different experiences for all tastes: whether you are looking for cultural sites with unusual charm, or you love thrills and are looking for an experience bordering on the supernatural…
Follow us, or you will regret it!
Ghost hunting in Simplon Park, by lantern light
Do you like ghost stories, the ones told in front of a crackling fireplace on a winter night or the ones that make you feel that chill down your spine, perhaps told on Halloween night itself?
If you haven’t run away yet and you are still here, follow us by torchlight, because we want to reveal the most mysterious face of Milan, on the trail of the Veiled Lady and the other spirits that hover in the city’s penumbra. This ghost tour of Milan starts from the Castello Sforzesco, an ancient mansion where the ghosts of Ludovico il Moro and Beatrice d’Este, whose screams of pain can still be heard today from the childbirth that was fatal to her, still seem to roam the halls. If the mysteries associated with the dynasties that once ruled Milan are not enough, among the avenues of the Sempione Park, on the other hand, it is said that one can stumble upon a ghostly encounter with the Veiled Lady, an eerie apparition who carries with her a chilling scent of violets…
Pan dei morti, Milan’s creepiest traditions and legends
If you love Milanese folklore, a tour of the historic center in search of symbols and traditions is just the thing for you. In what is now November, “time for the Dead,” we discover with our guides a season rich in ancient festivities: not only, then, the eccentric Anglo-Saxon tradition of Halloween, but also the Christian festivals of All Saints ‘ Day and Commemoration of the Dead. The atmosphere becomes darker and among the first fog appears flickering the glow of the candles lit to remember loved ones… it is the right time to reenact the most mysterious stories of the old town by tasting a taste of the Pan dei morti, a popular sweet made of crumbled cookies, dried fruit and spices, the preparation of which was used year after year as a tribute to the souls of the dead.
Milan Underground, the mysterious side of the city
Underground places in the city, you know, have that mysterious charm, made of darkness and secrecy… the right places to visit on Halloween, not to give up art, history and… thrills! We take you to visit with our guides the most suggestive corners of an Milan underground, thousands of years old and hidden, which branches off right under the squares and streets of the city, starting from the Duomo: it will be a surprise to find yourself treading ancient Roman streets of Milan, crossing tunnels hidden among archaeological sites and medieval crypts.
For an even more immersive experience, there is also a way to enter the underground depths of the Crypt of San Sepolcro, to be explored by lantern light. In the darkness, the treasures of this jewel of underground Milan shine with new light, recently restored. The thousand-year history of the place, revealed by medieval symbolism, tells of ancient rituals and an intense and evocative spirituality.
The Cemetery Monumental, the tombs of Milan
The Monumental Cemetery, it is known, is a true open-air museum: this Halloween tour to discover its tombs and artwork-like sepulchres will bring together both those who are looking for a culture-filled experience and those who want to feel their skin crawl… We’re kidding, you will come out unscathed, but the thrill will be unique as you will be guided through the tree-lined avenues of the cemetery, discovering the neoclassical, late-Romantic and neo-avant-garde architecture shrouded in the first shadows of twilight or the typically November fog, in an atmosphere that is both evocative and mysterious. The guide will tell you all about the illustrious figures who live their eternal rest in the shadow of the Madonnina, in the great cemetery of the Ambrosian capital, and how they made the city great and magnificent.
SanBernardino alle Ossa and the spectres of Milan
Finally, a not-to-be-missed experience to experience Halloween in Milan is our ghost tour dedicated to the historic center, where so many ghosts lurk, concealing truly eerie stories. We start from the Sanctuary of San Bernardino alle Ossa, a splendid late Baroque church that houses inside the ossuary an incredible “collection” of human skeletons: from all over skulls, tibiae, femurs, probably belonging to the dead of the hospital of San Barnaba in Brolo. After the visit to the most macabre place in Milan, we continue on a hunt for the ghosts that dwell among the streets and squares of the center: from Carlina, an unfortunate spirit that hovers over the spires of the Duomo, to Tommaso Marino, the first owner of the palace that is now the seat of the Milan City Council.
Ready to visit Milan on Halloween, amidst art adventures and suspense?
