In Milan you will be staying at the Residence Zara, via Zara 1, 0.8 miles from Stazione Centrale (Milan’s main train station) and two miles from Piazza del Duomo, the very center of the city. Click here for information on how to get to the residence from Malpensa or Linate airports or from the train station. Please note that the closest farmacie (pharmacies) are Farmacia Castoldi (via Luigi Porro Lambertenghi 25) and Farmacia San Giovanni (via Pola 13), either one a three-minute walk; the closest supermarkets are Esselunga (viale Luigi Sturzo 13) and Carrefour (Via Carlo Farini, 79-81), a ten-minute walk); and the closest subway stations are Zara (M3 yellow line and M5 purple line, a five-minute walk), Isola (M5, a four-minute walk), and Gioia (M2 green line; 11-minute walk). There are several trattorie, pizzerie, and rosticcerie in the area, including including Pizzeria Assaje (no plastic), Trattoria Caprese, restaurant La Rotonda di Segrino, and Ristorante Borsieri 39.

In case of any problem, call Prof. Erspamer. You may also call Residence Zara, +39 02 668 191.

Residence Zara’s rooms are reserved starting on Saturday, June 18; if you prefer to arrive on Friday, June 17, let Prof. Erspamer know and he will extend the booking to that night.

If you do not have an international phone plan or you want to save on local and international calls, as soon as possible after arriving in Milan purchase an Italian SIM card for your American GSM-compatible smartphone. Click here for more information. The closest stores where you can purchase an Italian SIM and plan are TIM, Vodafone, or Wind, all in Milano Centrale station.

As soon as you arrive in Milan, we will accompany you to the Zara subway station to purchase your ATM pass (abbonamento urbano) that will allow you unlimited rides on buses and subway trains within the city limits. (Please note that, in Milan, ATM means “Azienda Trasporti Milanesi,” the equivalent of Boston’s MBTA, and not “automatic teller machine”). We will pay for the pass. However you will need to have previously purchased your electronic card online (it costs 10 €): follow the detailed instructions provided on this page. Please keep in mind that this is a process that takes up to half an hour; therefore, it would be convenient for you to complete it during the week prior to your arrival in Milan.

You may consider remaining for the night in a few of the cities that we will visit during our weekly trips and then spend the weekend in nearby locations. In particular, in the evening of June 23 you could remain in Sirmione and spend the weekend on Lake Garda or take a bus to Verona and see the opera in the Arena. On July 28 you could remain in Florence. On August 4 you could remain in Lucca and the next day visit Pisa or Cinque Terre. Do not hesitate to write to (or talk with) Prof. Erspamer for suggestions and further information. Please note that the dates of our trips could still be changed. Please understand that weekends are also meant for resting, visiting Milan, Trento, and Siena, and studying. It is not a good idea to take a trip on every weekend or travel too far.
You must inform Prof. Erspamer of any trip that you plan and of any night that you decide not to spend in our residences or outside of Milan, Trento, and Siena. You can travel on every weekend with the exception of June 17-18, July 23, and August 12-13.
Travel outside of Italy will not be allowed this year.
Click here for more information about transportation in Italy.