Quadrilatero della Moda

The Quadrilatero della Moda, the fashion quadrilateral, is the small grid of streets just north-east of the Duomo where Milan earns its title as a capital of fashion. Its boundaries are Via Montenapoleone, Via Manzoni, Via della Spiga and Corso Venezia, and inside them, along Via Sant'Andrea, Via Borgospesso, Via Santo Spirito and Via Gesù, nearly every great Italian and international fashion house has its flagship, often in a neoclassical palazzo with a courtyard behind the door. Via Montenapoleone is the main artery, lined with the biggest names in fashion, jewellery and watches; Via della Spiga, pedestrianised and quieter, has a more intimate feel; Via Sant'Andrea and the side streets mix designer boutiques with smaller labels and showrooms. You do not need to buy anything to enjoy it. The window displays are works of art, especially during Milan Fashion Week in February and September and at Christmas, when the streets are decorated with lights. The architecture rewards attention too: look through the open gates at the cloistered courtyards, the stone facades and the old shop signs. History lurks behind the luxury. The Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, a Renaissance-style house museum created by two brothers in the late nineteenth century, sits in the middle of the district, and the Poldi Pezzoli and Villa Necchi Campiglio are a few minutes away. Historic cafés and pastry shops serve coffee and cakes to a sharply dressed crowd. The district is compact, so a slow circuit takes about an hour, and it is easy to combine with La Scala, the Galleria and the Giardini Indro Montanelli, the old public gardens on Corso Venezia.

When to go: weekday late mornings and afternoons are best, when shops are open and the streets are lively but not crowded. Saturday afternoons are busy, and many boutiques open later or close on Sunday mornings. During fashion weeks in February and September, you will see buyers, models and photographers, and some streets host events; the same is true of Design Week in April, when showrooms and courtyards open for installations.

How to walk it: start from Piazza San Babila or the Montenapoleone stop on metro line M3, walk the length of Via Montenapoleone, turn into Via Sant'Andrea, cross to Via della Spiga and return along Via Borgospesso or Via Santo Spirito, stopping at the Bagatti Valsecchi museum if you want an hour of culture. Finish with a coffee in one of the historic cafés or continue down Via Manzoni to La Scala.

Shopping tips: prices are what you would expect in a luxury district, but tax-free shopping for non-EU visitors can reduce the cost of major purchases, so ask about it in store. Outlet and more affordable shopping is on Corso Buenos Aires and Corso Vittorio Emanuele, close by. Dress codes are relaxed, but staff in the flagships are used to attentive customers, and most speak English.