The Martha Stewart Blog : Blog Archive My Visit to Milan

March 2, 2026

My Visit to Milan

A visit to Italy should include a stop in Milan - a beautiful metropolis in the country’s northern Lombardy region.

Last month, we all enjoyed watching more than 3500 athletes from 93 different countries compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan And Cortina d'Ampezzo. I had the honor of attending the Games and serving as commentator for the Women's Figure Skating Short Program with my friend, Snoop Dogg. In between television appearances, video tapings, and interviews, I also had the opportunity to tour the hosting city. I, along with my team, visited various shops, ate at delicious restaurants, walked through the Milan Cathedral, stood inside the grand opera house La Scala, and saw The Last Supper, the famous mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It was a most exciting and productive trip.

Enjoy these photos.

: Here I am with my team in front of Castello Sforzesco, the Sforza Castle. This medieval fortification was built in the 15th century and later enlarged in the 16th and 17th centuries.

: This is one of two round towers of the castle from where soldiers could patrol the grounds.

: Today, the castle is home to eight different museums including the Museum of the Pietà Rondanini which houses Michelangelo’s last unfinished sculpture.

: We drove through Milan’s Porta Nuova district where we saw Bosco Verticale, a pair of residential skyscrapers covered with more than 20-thousand plants on cantilevered balconies that were built specifically to support the green facade and provide natural filters to sunlight, dust, and other pollutants.

: And then there was La Scala, officially known as Teatro alla Scala, the historic opera house. It is renowned for hosting some of the most famous operas and performances in the world.

: La Scala has a horseshoe shaped auditorium with 2800 seats facing the stage.

: The Milan Cathedral or Duomo di Milano is the cathedral church of Milan. It took nearly six centuries to complete.

: The grand bronze doors of the cathedral are masterpieces of Gothic and Renaissance art. These front doors depict the “Joys and Sorrows of the Virgin Mary” and were made by Ludovico Pogliaghi in 1906.

: This is the largest Gothic cathedral in Italy. Here is the main sanctuary of the church with its extraordinary stain glass windows.

: The cathedral’s architecture includes pointed arches and hundreds of flying buttresses with more than 130 spires on its decorated rooftop.

: The roof is adorned with gargoyles and marble statues and stunning views of the city.

: And from the top of the cathedral, we could see the snow-capped peaks of the Alps, including Monte Rosa, the highest mountain in the city.

: I also noticed this on floor – Leo, my zodiac sign. The zodiac signs are black on white marble and run along a brass strip set in the floor.

: We also visited Peck in Milan – one of the largest food and wine shops in the world. Here is just one section of meat display. There are dozens of prosciutto and salami choices.

: And platters of delicacies in the glass cases. On top is a platter of mushrooms in olive oil.

: The meats are cured specially by Peck. Here are some hanging in the back kitchen.

: There is also a cheese cave, this aisle set to the perfect temperature for storing parmigiano reggiano cheese.

: These cheese rounds are ready to be cut and sold.

: And here it is, The Last Supper, painted by Leonardo da Vinci. It is located in the refectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent in Milan. The painting was done between 1494 and 1498. It is a wall fresco that depicts the final meal of Jesus with his desciples.