On this self guided audio tour, I’ll show you why Milan has more to offer than design fairs and fashion houses. We’ll start at the city’s cathedral, which is its most famous landmark, but from there I’ll help you seek out its lesser-known corners. You’ll meet despots from the Middle Ages, colourful characters from the Renaissance and the odd saint along the way. The Grim Reaper puts in an appearance too. (But not for long.)

You’ll also hear about

• Milan’s very own Lady Liberty and Loch Ness Monster
• A duke that got his come-uppance
• A collection of rattling old bones that was transformed into works of art
• Madonnas with dirty faces
• A lovely Baroque park
• A city that might have seemed like Venice
• Leonardo da Vinci’s unfinished monument
• Student protests at the historic hospital for the poor
• Black piglets that kept shingles at bay

I’ll point out some great places to stop for coffee and pastries too, as well as a few of the best bars.