March 8 is coming: on this day, we know that women are celebrated, but we do not always remember the reason for this celebration and what its deeper meaning is. In order to rediscover the intrinsic reason for this holiday that was created to claim the social achievements of the female gender, the NEIADE Tour & Events team offers you 5 guided tours designed to get to know the great women of Milan, the female protagonists who helped define the historical, artistic and cultural identity of the Lombard capital: get to know the great women of Milan!
Women’s Day-or rather, International Women’s Rights Day-was established back in 1909 in memory of all the economic, social and political achievements of the female gender, and although the symbol of this day is the mimosa flower, the occasion has little to do with gifts and bland tributes. Let us therefore pay tribute to those female figures who over the centuries have written a piece of Milanese history, and not only, making themselves protagonists of some of the most relevant social, political and cultural phenomena of the city’s past: rediscovering their incredible stories we will participate in many exciting guided tours, around the city.
Here are the 5 guided tours with which to meet the great Milanese women who made the city’s history!
The Great Women of Milan, a tour of the city’s history and cultural life
From Clara Maffei to Alda Merini, from Cristina Trivulzio di Belgiojoso to Ersilia Bronzini Majno: discover the great female protagonists of the city of Milan on a guided tour of the historic center, among the places most marked by the existence of these great female figures! Passing through often iconic corners of Milan, such as the Castello Sforzesco, the Duomo or Piazza Scala, it will be a different way to visit the city, in the footsteps of the women who played important roles in the socio-political and cultural life of the Milanese city. Among elegant streets, aristocratic palaces and squares, it will be the stories of the great women of Milan that will do the talking, revealing centuries of stories, struggles and achievements!
The great Milanese women of the Renaissance: tour of the Castello Sforzesco
A must-see for anyone visiting Milan is the Castello Sforzesco, the city fortress located on the edge of Sempione Park, expertly restored by Luca Beltrami and now home to the Milan Civic Museums. Within the castle’s walls and imposing towers lie the stories, often in the feminine, of the dynasty that took power in Milan from the mid-15th century: the Sforzas. Intrigues, assassins, loves, betrayals and marriages: participating in this tour will make it easy to become passionate about the stories of the Renaissance court, reliving the vicissitudes of the female figures who were its undisputed protagonists!
Curious to know some of them? We cannot overlook Bianca Maria Visconti, wife of Francesco Sforza, or Bona di Savoia, unfortunate consort of Galeazzo Maria to whom the square tower overlooking the Cortile delle Armi is named. The same goes for Isabella of Aragon, who may have spent her wedding night in the famous Sala delle Asse, before it was painted by Leonardo da Vinci… and finally, how can we forget Beatrice d’Este, the young and refined Ferrara wife of Ludovico il Moro, betrayed several times by her consort but eventually, after her untimely death, mourned by the duke in the lugubrious saletta negra, in the Ponticella of the castle?
The Legends and Traditions of Milan, also in the feminine!
If Milan’s mysteries, symbols and traditions fascinate you, an itinerary through the historic center promises to introduce you to all the secrets of Milanese life, including the many anecdotes about women in the city’s history and folklore. Not everyone will know, for example, that among Milan’s most mysterious characters are the Veiled Lady, bewitching spectre of Sempione Park, and Carlina, a ghost who hovers around the snow-white spires of the Duomo. Between history and legend, this itinerary will take us to learn about the vicissitudes of so many female figures of Milan’s past, through the telling of customs, recurrences and recipes that often the very women of Milan have handed down and guarded over the centuries.
Not just Milanese women: guided tour of Warhol exhibition at Fabbrica del Vapore
With March also comes the last few weeks to visit the exhibition Andy Warhol. The publicity of the form : in the world of the American artist, the most famous pop icons in the history of art appear as protagonists, starting with Marylin Monroe who figures right in the first rooms of the exhibition. So what better occasion than the month of Women’s Day to discover Warhol’s New York universe and his inspiring muses?
Walk through courtyards and railing houses to discover the “poetess of the Navigli,” Alda Merini
Among the dedicated guided tours of Milanese women, one on Alda Merini, one of the greatest poets of the 20th century and the present day, an intense and authentic voice, certainly one of the great protagonists of the Milanese cultural scene, cannot be missed. Born and recently passed away in the Ambrosian capital, the poetess Alda Merini and her verses will accompany us on this special guided tour of Milan’s Navigli and the Ticinese district.
Among old courtyards, narrow alleys and colorful railing houses, it will be an opportunity to explore one of the most picturesque and poetic areas of the city, rereading here and there the celebrated verses that the poetess dedicated to her Milan: from Corso San Gottardo we will walk to Alda’s birthplace, near the Darsena, to finally reach the renovated Spazio Alda Merini, run by thePiccola Ape Furibonda Association. In this journey through poetry, there will be no shortage of discovery of some of the places dearest to the poet, such as the picturesque Vicolo dei Lavandai and the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio.
So if you want to celebrate female figures (from Milan and beyond!) by delving into their cultural contributions and artistic talents, doing so with these five guided tours is a great idea!
You might also be interested in: women’s stories in Milan’s museums
