Milan, Italy — Events
Antiques Market
The Naviglio Grande is the oldest canal in Milan, built in the 12th Century, the stretches between the Darsena of Porta Ticinese and the bridge of Via Valenza (itself particularly drenched in olde worlde charm). Along the canal banks in this section, about 400 vendors gather on the last Sunday of every month to set up stalls selling a fascinating selection of furniture, clocks, porcelain, silver, jewelry, dolls, books and numerous collector’s items, from comics to walking sticks. On market day the adjacent shops, bars and art studios all remain open, adding to the pleasure of browsing.
Oh Bej! Oh Bej! Fair
The Milanese love Christmas and start the festivities early, on the feast day of the city’s patron saint Saint Ambrose, with the fair known as Oh Bej! Oh Bej! (literally meaning ‘So beautiful! So beautiful!’). The fair takes the form of a street market arranged around the Saint’s Basilica, offering everything from antique stalls and buskers to roast chestnuts and candy floss. The fair provides an excellent opportunity to do some Christmas shopping, and is particularly enjoyed by children. The Saint’s day also coincides with the opening of the season of the world-famous Milan La Scala Opera.
Italian F1 Grand Prix
Monza was one of the first F1 tracks ever built, but for more than sentimental reasons it remains one of the highlights on the Formula One calender as it is also the fastest. The track is located 10 miles (16km) north east of Milan.
Milan Fashion Weeks
Milan has a well-deserved reputation for being the haute couture fashion center of Europe, and a stroll around the downtown ‘fashion block’ bounded by Via Monte Napoleone, Via Manzoni, Via della Spiga and Corso Venezia will have fashion fundis drooling over the collections of Italian and international designers concentrated here. The top designers’ Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer collections are showcased on the catwalk during Milan’s famed Fashion Weeks, when the big names of fashion come to town.
