This weekend - known as Il Ponte - marks the start of the festive season in Milan. Francesca Dziadek finds 10 great ways to get into the Christmas spirit in Italy's fashion capitalSant' Ambrogio's street festivalMilan's festive season kicked off yesterday, on 7 December, when the fashion capital celebrates the feast of Sant'Ambrogio, the city's patron saint, a uniquely Milanese tradition. There's a public holiday on 8 December, the feast of the Immaculate Conception (Festa dell'Immacolata). The long weekend, known here as il ponte (the bridge), is traditionally an event-packed time ? a special Mass was held at the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio on 7 December and the market Fiera Degli Oh Bei, Oh Bei is held from 7-11 December in the grounds of Milan's castle, Castello Sforzesco.The Fiera, whose medieval origins date back to 1288, is a vast street market with hundreds of local arts and handicraft stalls and gastronomic delights. It's a great chance to savour the Christmas atmosphere ? and delicacies such as roast chestnuts, mulled wine, castagnaccio (chestnut, raisin and pine kernel cake) ? or take your pick from local mustards, hand-knitted woollies, jewellery, toys and sweets.Top views of MilanTake in Milan's grandeur and grande dame, the Madonnina, perched on the highest pinnacle of the Duomo (cathedral), by heading up to its roof terrace (duomomilano.it, rooftop tickets ?6.50). If there's a long queue outside the main entrance to the Cathedral, head for the marked entrance on the left that leads to the 250-step ascent. The Duomo's summit can be explored by walking a narrow path along its exterior perimeter, giving views of some of its 2,245 sculptures, 135 spires, and guglie, gargoyle-like figures. According to myth, the Duomo's construction started in 1386 after the devil appeared to influential noble Gian Galeazzo Visconti in a dream, and demanded that he fill it with satanic iconography ? more inferno than paradiso.On a clear day you can see the Alps, as well as Milan's Palazzo Reale ? a former Visconti palace and exhibition venue ? the mushroom-shaped, 1950s Torre Velasca skyscraper and Milan's tallest skyscraper, the Pirelli tower, il Pirellone.On 18 December at 7pm there's a free Christmas concert in the Duomo (no reservations required), a performance by the Celtic Harp Orchestra and Choir of the Duomo of Milan.Take a fashion tourIf you fancy a stroll in Milan's world-famous Fashion Quad, or Golden Quadrilateral, named after the four main fashion streets around Via Montenapoleone, you will find it clearly marked from Piazza San Babila with a "golden rectangle" street sign. This is a chance to experience Milan's fashion mecca, an A-Z of Italian designer stores, from Armani to Zegna. This winter you will spot an H for Hogan's on most young and trendy women's feet in Milan - try on a pair at Hogan (Via Montenapoleone 23, +39 02 7601 1174, hoganworld.com).Back in the real world, Milan's frantic but affordable shopping miles are Via Torino and Corso Buenos Aires. Slow-paced Via Brera and Via Solferino (Brera area) are browsers' havens, for accessory hunting or finding new inspiration for a chic but funky look. For good-quality, trendy but affordable shoes try Bagatt (Piazza San Marco 1, +39 02 2900 5682, bagatt.it) in Brera. Cavalli e Nastri (Via Brera 2, +39 02 7200 0449, cavallienastri.com) is a retro boutique, where you can find a sassy, second-hand winter coat for ?100. The nearby Porta Genova-Navigli canals district is good for edgier looks and ethnic vintage.Detoxing and retoxingWellness does not come cheap in Milan, where upscale designer branding extends to restaurants, stores or venues and boutique hotels, but you get what you pay for: luxurious head-to-toe pampering to die for. A day of unadulterated pleasure is available at Bulgari Spa (Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7b, + 39 02 805 8051, bulgarihotels.com), an urban oasis set in a park in the heart of Brera, where a detox in blissful splendour lounging from gold-mosaic pool to hammam, dozing off care of an ESPA aromatherapy massage, will set you back ?240.If you're taking a DIY approach, look out for the L'Erbolario brand, which has a fabulous range of natural plant-based cosmetics, from aromatic skin tonics to perfumed bath lines and skin care. The products are widely available, especially in herbal product shops, known as erboristeria.Fully rejuvenated, take a peek at Milan's historic hotels. Go for a drink in the lobby of the Four Seasons (Via Ges�, 6/8, fourseasons.com/milan), a former convent, or sink into period armchairs at classy Grand Hotel et de Milan in Via Manzoni 29 (grandhoteletdemilan.it), where Giuseppe Verdi and his mistress, star soprano "Peppina" Strepponi, whiled away many a happy hour.Christmas shopping and gift ideasA good all-round starting point is always La Rinascente (rinascente.it), Milan's best known department store, in Piazza Duomo. Check the homewares in the basement for espresso cup sets, or a Moka pot, the Italian stove-top espresso maker. Easy to take home are also olive wood cutting boards, pasta-cutting implements or a lasagne dish. If you like megastores, Mondadori (negozimondadori.it) is good for books, electronics, gadgets, CD and DVDs. Reproduction posters like the Ricordi selection of early 19th-century opera billboards of La boh�me or Rigoletto make good souvenirs. Wait and See (Via Santa Marta 14, +39 02 7208 0195, waitandsee.it) is great for vintage accessories and design objects in every price range.Try the deparment store food halls for saffron, the vital ingredient for risotto alla Milanese, or vedure sott'olio (preserved vegetables) to serve as Italian antipasti, and the speciality Fairtrade Modica chocolate. In Modica in Sicily, chocolate is made straight from the cacao beans, with no added cocoa butter or soy lecithin. The cocoa is worked on a lava stone slab, and it is heated to no more than 40C so that when the sugar is added it does not melt, giving the grainy texture for which the chocolate is famous. There's a bewildering range to choose from, from traditional vanilla, cinnamon and hot chilli pepper (peperoncino) to nutmeg or white pepper and cardamom.Eating out and Christmas treatsFirst things first: coffee. Order un caff� (for an espresso), caff� lungo, un cappuccino (for breakfast, never after dinner) ? colloquially un cappuccio or un marocchino, the Milanese only cocoa-sprinkled variety served in a small glass.Drop into Pasticceria Marchesi, where impeccable coffee, breakfast brioches, pralines, pastries, biscuits and its showpiece Christmas desert Panettone della casa have been sold since 1824 (Via Santa Maria alla Porta 11/a, +39 02 862770, pasticceriamarchesi.it).For traditional Italian food with a contemporary twist, the "maestro" is Gualtiero Marchesi, whose haute cuisine take on classic Milanese dishes like breaded veal cutlet, ossobuco (braised veal shanks in white wine) and risotto alla Milanese have made his restaurant, Il Marchesino (Via Vittorio Emanuele 23, +39 02 30 776 0562, gualtieromarchesi.it), a firm local favourite.Don't leave Milan without trying Luini's panzerotto, a small, deep-fried pizza-like calzone served piping hot with varied fillings including tomato and mozzarella, spinach or mushroom, all for ?2-?3 (Via Santa Radegonda 16, +39 02 8646 1917, luini.it). The tiny bakery, opened in 1949, is an institution, and standing in the queue alongside fashionable Milanese office workers on their lunch break, students from the nearby university and in-the-know tourists is all part of Milan's best take-away ritual.Visit the studio of Milan's iconic designerAfter a visit to Milan's design temple and permanent exhibition the Triennale (Viale Alemagna 6, +39 02 724341, triennale.org), try the Studio Museum Achille Castiglioni (Piazza Castello 27, + 39 02 805 3606, achillecastiglioni.it), an open-house shrine to the legend and legacy of Achille Castiglioni, a highly influential Milanese industrial designer who worked here until his death in 2002. He is best known for having created objects that became popular ? everyday hits produced by the likes of Alessi, including the bestselling Arco lamp and Spirale ashtray.You are advised to book a tour in advance. On the doorstep, you will be welcomed by Achille's English-speaking daughter Giovanna for a 60-minute tour, served up with humorous anecdotes and interesting trivia. Giovanna takes the visitors through the various rooms that were part of her father's creative den, the designer's studio area where projects were sketched and developed, a conference room, archives and display areas. This is a unique opportunity to experience the life and times of the acclaimed Milanese creative design icon.It's a family affair here and on your way out Giovanna will hand you a map so you can find sister Monica's jewellery atelier at Via Pastrengo 4 (+39 02 8723 7979, monicacastiglioni.com).Art, architecture and interiors Art aficionados are spoilt for choice in Milan. The art academy Pinacoteca di Brera (Via Brera 28, 02 7226 3264, brera.beniculturali.it) has the best renaissance collections in Milan, a treasure trove of Titian, Tintoretto and Mantegna. The new Museo del Novecento (Via Marconi 1, +39 02 8844 4072, museodelnovecento.org) opened last year in the renovated Palazzo dell'Arengario, with state-of-the art spiral ramps connecting visitors to the masterpieces of 20th-century Italian art, including works by futurists Boccioni and Carr�. Next door, at Palazzo Reale, is a popular exhibition dedicated to Artemisia Gentileschi (Piazza del Duomo 12, +39 02 0202, artpalazzoreale.it, until 29 January 2012), the unconventional 17th-century woman painter, hailed as a prodigy during her lifetime, whose rollercoaster life included tragedy, scandal and adversity.Milan's Case Museo are four unique homes-turned-museums, right in the city centre, offering fascinating glimpses into the life of Milanese aristocrats, thinkers, art collectors and industrialists from the 19th-century to the 1970s. Try the Bagatti-Valsecchi family's Renaissance palace in Via Ges�, a quick detour from Via Montenapoleone, in the Fashion Quad (Via Ges� 5, +39 02 7600 6132, museobagattivalsecchi.org). Or there's the unmissable art deco Villa Necchi-Campiglio (Via Mozart 14, +39 02 7634 0121, casemuseo.it), setting of the feature film I am Love, shot in 2009 and starring Tilda Swinton.At the Museo Poldi Pezzoldi, an exhibition on Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli traces the events leading to Italy's independence through works of art (Via Manzoni 12, +39 02 796334, museopoldipezzoli.it, until 13 February 2012).The Last Supper and the Three KingsAnyone with an even passing interest in Renaissance art can't leave Milan without their allotted 15 minutes in front of Leonardo da Vinci's 15th-century masterpiece The Last Supper (Il Cenacolo). The most famous "mural" in the world is to be found in the refectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie church ? book at least two weeks in advance to see it (Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie 2 , cenacolovinciano.net).Head south down Corso di Porta Ticinese to hipsters' quarter Porta Genova-Navigli to visit the Basilica Sant'Eustorgio (Piazza Sant'Eustorgio 3, +39 02 894 02671). The gilded shrine of the Magi in the right transept is believed to be the resting place of the Three Kings. Every year, on 6 January, a procession, the Corteo dei Re Magi from Piazza Duomo to Sant'Eustorgio, celebrates the Epiphany. Ristorante Sant'Eustorgio, right on the square, comes in handy for a hearty spaghetti al dente or Tuscan T-bone steak la fiorentina (+39 02 5810 1396, sant-eustorgio.it).Aperitivo timeThe aperitivo is a timeless tradition, a pre-dinner cocktail accompanied by the tapas-like stuzzichini. The Milanese happy hour gets going around 6pm as baristas prepare a buffet spread, which can vary from a few olives and potato chips to lavish feasts. The average sophisticated Milanese tends to expect sumptuous platters including cold cuts, prosciutto or bresaola, crudit�s, salad, pasta trays and crostini , all for around ?8-?10. Order your Negroni (gin, vermouth and Campari) or a Sbagliato (Campari, sweet vermouth and Prosecco) and tuck in. Good places to try are Via Brera and Corso Como, as well as Corso Sempione around Arco della Pace.For an easy-going, laid-back scene, try Exploit (Via Pioppette 3, +39 02 8940 8675, exploitmilano.com), near the Colonne di San Lorenzo, and hip and friendly Le Biciclette (a former bike shop on Via Torti, lebiciclette.eu).For a special occasion and a gourmet cocktail aperitivo try EAT, a food store and bar, part a new cutting-edge concept store in the old Milan Excelsior Cinema in Galleria del Corso (excelsiormilano.com).Going for an aperitivo is one of the best - and most affordable - ways to enjoy deals in Milan. But be warned ? drinking etiquette usually ends after one Negroni!MilanItalyTop 10sFood and drinkItalian food and drinkShopping tripsFood & drinkguardian.co.uk © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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