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The Ticinese neighbourhood of Milan
What we now know as the Ticinese neighbourhood takes its name from the numerous ancient city gates built one after another at different times and leading towards the nearby Ticino river and the town of Pavia. One by one, these gates were integrated into the city walls which today are no longer visible.
The Ticinese neighbourhood was enclosed inside the mighty Spanish ramparts, the city walls that sprung up during the sixteenth century, and it was encompassed within the Waterways of Milan, the Inner and Outer Circle. Buffeted by changes in the urban fabric, historical shifts and social transformations, it has kept its character and never lost touch with its past.
The waterways of Milan and the Little Lake of Sant’Eustorgio
This part of the city was noteworthy for the trade that stemmed from the Waterways and the “Little Lake of Sant’Eustorgio”, where barges and merchandise vessels would moor. There was also a steady stream of believers who headed for two major places of worship: the Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio and the Sanctuary of Saint Mary of Miracles at San Celso (Santuario di Santa Maria dei Miracoli).
Now the neighbourhood perfectly reflects the current zeitgeist and the Milan of today.
Piazza XXIV Maggio and Corso di Porta Ticinese
Corso di Porta Ticinese stretches out from Piazza XXIV Maggio along the axis which links the Medieval Porto Ticinese to its nineteenth-century counterpart. Along the roadside, ancient low buildings in a quintessential Milanese style are home to off-the-radar clothing stores, mainly selling streetwear or vintage pieces. There are also independent bookstores, record shops and florists, as well as colourful mural artwork and on-trend bars alongside long-established businesses.
The Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio and the Diocesan Museum of Milan in the Ticinese area
A little further ahead, the grand Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio is a perfect memento of the rich history of the neighbourhood, and Lombard terracotta bricks adorning the church and bell tower serve as a physical reminder of its legacy.
It is a repository for one of the greatest masterpieces of the Milanese Renaissance: the Portinari Chapel, which is guaranteed to leave you awestruck as soon as you put your foot through the door. On the other hand, when you visit the Carlo Maria Martini Diocesan Museum of Milan, you enter a place which was once part of a Dominican monastery behind the basilica and is now known as the Cloisters of Sant’Eustorgio..
Art Galleries in Milan: from the Bosoni Gallery to the Tommaso Calabro Gallery
This place is permeated with beauty and culture, making up its core identity. Today it accommodates numerous art galleries, including the ancient Bosoni Gallery, which dates back to 1932, and the Tommaso Calabro Gallery, which was only founded in 2018 and yet is already a Mecca for collectors and aficionados. Then, there are art workshops, like the Mani Milano Lab, a creative space where you can learn about ceramics.
The Basilicas Park in the Ticinese district
The spacious John Paul II Park (Parco Giovanni Paolo II), formerly known as the Basilicas Park, lies in the shadow of Sant’Eustorgio and links this Basilica to the nearby Basilica of San Lorenzo, thus connecting two areas once separated by the Inner Circle of the Navigli which flowed along what is today Via Molino delle Armi.
Premises of Emergency and IBVA in Milan
Still close to the basilica, but on the other side of the centre of the Ticinese Neighbourhood, you will find an area which might seem a bit quieter, but still tirelessly toils from morning to night. This is the location of choice for organisations like Emergency, which was founded by Gino Strada in 1994 or IBVA, a true Milan-city institution which dates back to 1801 and strives day in and day out to give a helping hand to the needy.
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