Story: Truong Anh Ngoc
Photos: Shutterstock

I didn’t fall in love with Milan at first sight, that’s for sure. It wasn’t like Rome, a place I had always dreamt of visiting. I still vividly remember my first time in Italy’s second-largest city many years ago. Before arriving, I only associated Milan with photos of Piazza del Duomo and the weekly football matches between two of Italy’s most storied teams, bringing joy and sorrow to fans at San Siro Stadium. Milan was noisy, bustling, and fast-paced, much like any city in Northern Europe. Milan was all about fashion and commerce, everything that stood in stark contrast to the ancient and serene city of Rome.

Doumo Square

I was on a short business trip to the capital of Lombardy. I hadn’t seen La Scala or felt any hint of romance in the crowded streets near my meeting venue. When the meeting ended, my first thought was to step outside and hail a taxi back to my small hotel on the outskirts of the city center. But no taxis stopped, so I hopped on a tram, not caring where it was headed that afternoon.

That journey changed my perspective and feelings about the city. Milan revealed itself slowly, swaying gently as the tram moved along its tracks. Streets, lit-up shops, cafes, ancient churches, bare branches in the night, and pedestrians pulling up their collars all drifted by. Lost in the cityscape, I suddenly found myself in a vast open space, with the Duomo standing tall. For years, I had known Milan’s iconic cathedral through films and postcards, but my first direct encounter with the Duomo felt unexpectedly intimate and endearing. It was as if Milan’s cathedral, a monumental structure that took centuries to complete, had always been a familiar place in my imagination. Stepping onto the square and gazing at the cathedral from afar, then moving closer, seeing it illuminated by streetlights in the night, I realized how close it felt.

The old town has many eateries

The next day, with the sun up, Milan offered yet another feeling—more familiar, more dazzling—as I walked along the small streets back to the city center. The Duomo and its white marble facade felt even more compelling. La Scala, the “temple” of Italian classical music, was bustling with preparations for a new opera. The famous fashion street, Via Montenapoleone, was crowded with shoppers. The Navigli district, with its lively little canal, was filled with joggers. Cafes were brimming with laughter. The small park in Brera was alive with birdsong. I sat sipping a cappuccino in Galleria Umberto, an elegant and ancient shopping arcade with a roof that overlooks the Duomo, savoring every moment of the morning. Milan, to me, was no longer just synonymous with San Siro, the epicenter of Italian football, or the Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery, home to Leonardo da Vinci’s immortal “The Last Supper”, since this artist resided in Milan in the late 15th century.

A yellow tram near the Peace Arch

Following that first trip, I have returned to Milan many times. While I have spent more time in Rome during my visits to Italy, Milan has begun to feel like “home”, every corner familiar and endearing. The hustle and bustle, and even the traffic jams on the busy ring road into the city, no longer bother me.

So, first impressions of a city aren’t always its final measure. Don’t be quick to close your heart or turn down opportunities to revisit a place. Sometimes, the smallest experiences can change your perspective.