Visiting the Tourist Attractions

Guest Post By: Rachel Merrill, a Junior studying Accounting. She is a Global Business Center Study Abroad Scholarship Recipient, and she studied abroad through Foster Exchange at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, during Autumn Semester 2023.

The biggest tourist attraction in Milan is most definitely the Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio. The Galleria is located right next to the Duomo and is one of the oldest shopping malls in the world. When I got to Milan, it was peak travel time so these areas were usually jam-packed with tourists. Just walking around was difficult. So while I didn’t avoid these attractions, I tried to visit these areas less to avoid getting caught up in the whole chaos. Being two months in, I still hadn’t gone up to the top of the Duomo where you can see all of Milan and I still hadn’t gone inside the church yet. However, this last week my mom had come to visit and it seemed like the perfect time to check these places off my list of things to do. It is now the end of October and tourism has died down a little so these areas are not nearly as busy as they usually are.

I didn’t know what to expect when going to the top of the Duomo or going inside. But now I understand the reason why these spots have become tourist attractions. It was so beautiful standing on the roof of the Duomo. You were able to see all the intricacies of the steeples and all the hundreds of little statues that surrounded the church. Not only can you admire the architecture you get to see the Galleria from above. You can appreciate the architecture so much more and everything that went into these buildings. While the building is beautiful, going inside the Duomo was my favorite part. The stained glass windows each showed different biblical stories and there had to be at least fifty giant pillars supporting the church. It had to be one of the most beautiful churches I had ever been inside. I think this gave me a greater appreciation for this attraction and I am so grateful to be able to experience the Duomo and all its glory in person. The pictures attached are some that I took from the roof and inside the Duomo.