Isola Street Art, Milan

Isola Street Art (Self Guided), Milan

In Italian, the word “isola” means island and was bestowed on this part of the city because it used to be cut off from the rest of Milan by a railroad. Today, this former 19th-century sleepy working class district is an area transformed. Now it's a vibrant enclave filled with street art and some fascinating buildings.

Visit Piazza Gae Aulenti which gleams with steel and glass structures. Look over the Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest), a complex of two residential buildings where flat terraces are planted with trees and bushes. Marvel at the form and features of the Egg, a work by artist Alberto Garutti. It features brass pipes on several levels which allow people to communicate without being seen. Study much older architectural designs and features with a tour of the beautiful Church of Santa Maria della Fontana, built in the 15th century.

One of the joys of a visit to Isola is viewing its eclectic street art, principally created by local artists. There are vibrant, imaginative and sometimes surreal pieces. Walk through the underground tunnel that connects Isola and Garibaldi station and pause to study its wall paintings which were commissioned by a local art school.

As you tour the area you will notice stickers with the face of Arnold, a character played by Gary Coleman in the US sitcom Different Strokes. This is the signature of one of the city's best-known street artists. During your visit, you may not actually see any street artists at work, because public opinion views the work as vandalism, so many artists create their masterpieces in secret.
How it works: A discovery walk features a route using which you can explore a popular city neighborhood on your own. This walk, along with other self-guided walks in over 1,500 cities, can be found on the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" which can be downloaded from Apple App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app's built-in GPS navigation functions allow following this walk route with ease. The app works both online and offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Isola Street Art Map

Guide Name: Isola Street Art
Guide Location: Italy » Milan
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Discovery)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Author: naomi
Gae Aulenti Square

2) Gae Aulenti Square

Gae Aulenti Square

3) Gae Aulenti Square

Pietro Borsieri Street

6) Pietro Borsieri Street

Angelo della Pergola Street

7) Angelo della Pergola Street

Angelo della Pergola Street

8) Angelo della Pergola Street

Angelo della Pergola Street

9) Angelo della Pergola Street

Angelo della Pergola Street

10) Angelo della Pergola Street

Cola Montano Street

11) Cola Montano Street

Cola Montano Street

12) Cola Montano Street

Lambertenghi Street corner with Pollaiuolo Street

13) Lambertenghi Street corner with Pollaiuolo Street

Church of Saint Mary at the Fountain

14) Church of Saint Mary at the Fountain

Church of Saint Mary at the Fountain

15) Church of Saint Mary at the Fountain

Walking Tours in Milan, Italy

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Leonardo da Vinci's Masterpieces

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Leonardo da Vinci, one of the greatest Renaissance artists and polymaths in history, left an indelible mark on Milan through several of his masterpieces created in this city over the nearly 20 years that he spent here.

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The best place to start is...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
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Milan may well be a world fashion capital and one of the financial capitals of Europe, but religion, and particularly churches, are an inseparable part of the Milanese life. Indeed, steeped in history, this city has garnered over the centuries a wealth of iconic places of worship.

Among these, the Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) stands as a symbol of grandeur and faith. This magnificent...  view more

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One of the world's four fashion capitals and, as of lately, that of industrial design as well, Milan is renowned internationally as a top shopping destination, where fashion is the second religion. In a city as rich as this one, dedicated to art and pleasure, there's no shortage of options for those accustomed to upscale shopping and favoring bargains.

Amid the plethora of places to...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Milan Introduction Walking Tour

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Recognized as one of the world's four fashion capitals, Milan is also a global hub of design and a key tourist destination. The etymology of the name Milan remains uncertain. One theory holds that the Latin name Mediolanum comes from the Latin words medio (in the middle) and planus (plain).

In 286 the Roman Emperor Diocletian moved the capital of the Western Roman Empire from Rome to...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles

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