Fashionable Milan is the commercial and financial center of Italy, and it’s underrated as a tourist destination. The city features one of Europe’s most spectacular Gothic cathedrals, plus a wealth of masterpieces, including “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci. La Scala opera house hosted the premieres of Verdi’s “Nabucco” and Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” and “Turandot.” Most of the famous Italian fashion brands are headquartered in the city. The Milanese tend to be proudly traditional when it comes to food, prizing specialties such as risotto alla Milanese, made with saffron, and cotoletta alla Milanese, a breaded veal chop often served with arugula and cherry tomatoes. But recently they’ve become more gastronomically adventurous.

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