Perhaps it is because of the success of movies and TV series that have as their setting the most suburban neighborhoods of cities, in which the protagonists live out adventurous stories and affairs. It may be that it is precisely these areas, shrouded in a veil of mystery and charm, that are the real urban beating heart, the place in cities where the lives of the majority of their inhabitants take place. The fact is that in recent years even urban suburbs have become places rich in attractiveness and interest not only for tourists, eager to visit every nook and cranny and discover its secrets, but also for the inner-city dwellers themselves, who in the past perhaps preferred to spend their leisure time in the more central neighborhoods.
In fact, even as far as the Ambrosian capital is concerned, more and more locals and tourists are fascinated and intrigued by discovering Milan’s suburbs and the neighborhoods that populate them. Milan, in fact, is full of interesting neighborhoods in the suburbs, further away from the historic center but equally worth visiting!
In this regard, today we take you on a tour of six of the most beautiful suburban neighborhoods in Milan, which you can visit with meetings organized by the team of NEIADE Tour & Events: from the historic and elegant Porta Romana to the colorfulOrtica neighborhood and the multiethnic soul of NoLo to the art galleries of Lambrate… Ready to discover the other faces of less-traveled Milan?
Milan suburbs: neighborhoods to visit and discover with Neiade’s 6 dedicated tours
1. The Agri-Aperitivo at the Porta Romana Market.
Today, Porta Romana is one of the most residential neighborhoods of the Ambrosian capital, much frequented by the people of the movida for the various clubs it offers, but not only: a walk through the streets of the neighborhood, in fact, allows you to retrace the traces of Milan’s past back to the times of Ancient Rome and also allows you to admire the sumptuous gate (from which the neighborhood took its name) erected in 1596 at the behest of Philip III as a wedding gift for Maria Margaret of Austria. That of the Porta Romana district is a past truly rich in history that has left as its legacy numerous and varied places of interest, from sumptuous Baroque-style palaces and older churches to Art Nouveau buildings and well-kept gardens with a neoclassical flavor.
Our guided tour will also give us an interesting gastronomic experience, in a neighborhood that-now as in the past-is much more connected to the countryside of the Milanese hinterland than one might think: at the Porta Romana Covered Farmers’ Market., located at Via Friuli 10/A, you can immerse yourself in the colors, scents and flavors of typical Lombard products (all zero km) from more than 30 producers! Eggs, cheeses, cold cuts and meats: all delicacies from the nearby countryside south of Milan and the result of hard work in the fields of local producers and farms.
Between charcuterie and cheese boards and much more, we will make you enjoy an unforgettable agri-aperitif in the heart of the city of Milan.
2. Walking through the street art of the Ortica neighborhood
When people talk about Ortica, they now immediately think of a sort of “museum district”: today, in fact, this area has become a magnet for street art lovers, rich as it is with colorful murals, all to be discovered with our dedicated tour!
Yet, Ortica is made up of a past in which vegetable gardens gave way to the large factories of the growing industries, workers’ houses and a variety of structures with different functions.On this guided tour, in fact, you will discover interesting iconic places in the neighborhood, such as the Innocenti Lambrette factory, the Martinitt ‘s in Via Pitteri and the Barracks, with its missile-shaped bunkers.
From being an industrial area, however, Ortica has become an open-air museum thanks to the creativity of young street artists: thanks to the project Or.Me – Ortica Memoria, since 2015 the neighborhood has come to life with the colors of the murals of the collective of street artists Orticanoodles. An art committed and linked to “milanesity,” however, so much so that among the protagonists of these murals we meet the women of the Resistance, the Martinitt, Alberto Dalla Chiesa, Alda Merini and even Cardinal Ferrari and the partisan Morandi. Together with Neiade you can admire a real “narrative and memory journey”!
3. Among the contemporary art galleries in the Lambrate district.
Lambrate is a neighborhood in continuous transformation and redevelopment, but also a place that preserves traces of a Milanese past rich in history: walking through the streets of the area, in fact, one encounters everything–from the remains of ancient Roman settlements to modern industrial buildings. Nerve center of the city during Milan Design Week and FuoriSalone, Lambrate is also a magnet for artists and design enthusiasts, since it hosts numerous contemporary art galleries among its streets.
If you are a lover ofcontemporary art and stories of urban redevelopment, don’t miss this tour that from the ancient heart of the neighborhood takes us inside the most beautiful galleries of Via Ventura: Francesca Minini, Prometeo Gallery Ida Pisani and Galleria Monopoli, where we will have the pleasure of chatting one-on-one with the gallery owners!
4. Virtual Encounter: a tour through the streets of Affori.
Affori is one of the northernmost neighborhoods with respect to the center of Milan, and although it is not among the most popular areas for tourists visiting the Ambrosian capital, it has several surprises in store for us. All you need is an Internet connection and a device such as a PC or tablet to take part in this virtual encounter with the neighborhood-a perfect solution for those who are not in the city or do not have the opportunity to physically move, but are looking forward to discovering the treasures of the Affori area!
Together with Neiade you will discover the art and history of Affori, among ancient villas-such as the Villa Litta Modigliani, once the favorite living room of intellectuals of the caliber of Francesco Hayez and Alessandro Manzoni-and little churches not to be missed, such as the church of Santa Giustina, home to a precious Virgin of the Rocks, a 16th-century copy of the original by Vinci.
5. Virtual Encounter: discovering Bicocca
If you are a fan of urban planning, you certainly know the history of the Bicocca area in Milan: born from a project by Vittorio Gregotti, the Bicocca district is one of the most recent redevelopment projects in the Lombard capital, which over the years has seen it transform from a predominantly industrial area to a university and residential district, complete with amenities and recreational areas for citizens. There is also no shortage of places dedicated to art and culture in Bicocca, just think of the famous Teatro degli Arcimboldi and the innovative exhibition space Hangar Bicocca.
In this on-demand meeting we will discover the neighborhood’s past and the changes that affected it up to the 2000s, with the rise of large corporate entities such as Deutsche Bank, Siemens and the Pirelli Headquarters.
6. Virtual Encounter: north of Loreto, welcome to NoLo
NoLo is one of the fastest growing and trendiest neighborhoods in Milan today. Indeed, its transformations have revalued even the infamous Via Padova–once considered a dangerous and infamous area–now a multi-ethnic artistic and cultural center.
In the virtual meeting we will talk about this neighborhood, whose name NoLo stands for North of Loreto, the northeast area of the city of Milan. Among art ateliers, galleries, bars, art workshops and coworking spaces, today the neighborhood lives with new light and colors and is popular especially among the younger and more creative spirits.
If you are also curious to find out more about the new Milan and its dizzying skyscrapers, read this article: Itinerary to discover Milan’s new neighborhoods.
