MILAN'S MAGNIFICENT STADIUMS

Temple of emotions

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Milan's legendary football stadium, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro) has been home to AC Milan since 1926. Since 1947 – in an ecumenical sporting gesture – it has also been home to rival Inter Milan.

Designed by Ulisse Stacchini, architect of Milan's Central Station, the stadium is modelled on a steep-sided English football stadium with a capacity of over 80,000 spectators. Usually called “San Siro,†after the neighbourhood in which it’s located, the stadium acquired its official name, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, in 1980. Meazza played for both teams in the course of his career and was a two-time World Cup winner.

You will see why San Siro is also called the “Temple of emotions,†when you attend a match; the atmosphere is as legendary as the stadium. To join the good-natured, partisan spectators, buy a ticket on-line or at the gates. Bring picture ID; your name will be printed on the ticket and checked at the entry.

If you can’t attend a match, take the guided tour of the museum and stadium. Bilingual tours, in English and Italian, are scheduled every day, except match days, from 10:00 to 17:00. The half-hour stadium tour assembles at Gate 14, Via Piccolomini 5; a tour leaves roughly every 20 minutes. Just show up and you will be included in the next group. A guide will show you not only the stadium but also the pavilion where, for €400, a VIP can view the game in comfort. You will also be able to visit the “behind-the- scenes†areas, too, including the locker rooms.

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In the museum, take your time mulling over the myriad trophies acquired by AC Milan and Inter Milan through the years, plus memorabilia of their famous players. There’s a stand where you can acquire the blue and black souvenirs of Inter Milan or the red and black mementos of AC Milan.

San Siro is not easy to reach by Metro or tram. If you come by taxi, be prepared to phone for one for your return.

MiCo’s “Red Carpet†service will arrange a ticket for an AC Milan game plus a pre-game aperitif and light dinner at the AC Milan hospitality centre. Pickup and return to your hotel are included. To book, visit www.micmilano.it, and click on the Red Carpet tab.

Comet sustains energy

MiCo is the venue for the XXX ESCRS Congress, 8-12 September 2012 and also the EURETINA, WCPOS and EuCornea congresses. Situated in the heart of Milan and incorporating the old Milan Convention centre, “MiCo†was completed in 2011 at a cost of €64m. Designed by Mario Bellini, it has quickly become one of the most prestigious congress destinations in Europe.

The building’s outstanding visual feature is its extraordinary roof. Officially described as the “Comet,†an aerial view also suggests a river, a glacier or even an exhausted giant seagull. However it is described, it makes the building a model of self-sustainable energy. Covering 15,000 square metres, it was designed to support enough photovoltaic panels to provide electricity not only for the congress centre itself but for the surrounding areas as well. The Comet usually requires only about 400 metres of panels for its own needs.

The roof also serves to unify the structures under it. These include the totally refurbished, pre-existing exhibition halls, the new extensions, and Milano Convention Center – which was already the largest congress complex in Italy. MiCo provides seating for up to 18,000 people and 54,000 square meters of exhibition space.

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Colour-coding has been used to simplify navigation through the vast interior which extends over five floors, two of them underground.

Exciting architecture apart, MiCo offers a unique attraction for congress delegates. Its “Red Carpet†concierge service organises “dream events†for a delegate's leisure time in Milan. Activities capitalise on the city's special attractions and range from driving a Lotus around the Monza racetrack to a full-day, escorted wine tour.

Everything can be booked online at: www.fmc-redcarpet.com/en.

MiCo stands at the gateway to City Life Fiera Milano, the urban redevelopment project on the site of the old Milan fairgrounds. The scheme incorporates residential and office development, retail space, and a museum – all built around a central park enlivened by canals. When completed, it will feature three skyscrapers, one of which will be the tallest building in Milan. The 50-storey structure was designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki.

A villa to love

The film, Io sono l'amor, (I Am Love), stars not only Tilda Swinton as a wealthy Russian woman living in Italy, but the villa, “Necchi Campiglio,†as the stylish Milanese villa in which she lives. Designed by architect Piero Portaluppi, the villa was constructed between 1932 and 1935 for the Necchi sewing machine family. The Fascist Republican Party requisitioned the villa in 1943 for use as its headquarters.

After the war, the villa was reclaimed by the owners, who hired Tomaso Buzzi to “soften†the original decor. In 2001, the villa was bequeathed to Italy’s National Trust, and it opened as a museum in 2008. Architectural highlights of the still largely Art Deco villa include the veneered staircase, garden room, leather paneling in the dining room and sumptuous library ceiling.

Villa Necchi Campiglio is located at Via Mozart, 14, 20122 Milano. Telephone: +39 02 76340121. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00. Last entrance at 17:30.