An intersection of fashion and finance, Milan is a city whose residents are ready to proclaim their pride in the sophisticated metropolis they call home. Italy’s moral capital is the antithesis of the chaotic south. Citizens speak in a refined dialect, the government officials actually work, and even the scooters stop for red lights. Although the cost of living is high and traffic can be a nightmare, the spires of the city’s intricately carved Duomo,the echoing notes of the renowned La Scala theater, and the gleaming boutiques of the Fashion District, where casually parallel parking a cherry-red Ferrari is no big deal, help prove the Milanese’s point: this is a truly cultured town. But in addition to its role as a national and global trendsetter, Milan plays an essential part in the Italian economy, home as it is to rubber giant Pirelli and scores of banks, hedge funds, and other GDP-boosting institutions that remain mysterious to the layperson. While the city’s dark-suited bankers walk its streets with a clear purpose, meandering tourists can find many artistic treasures that remain less known. Leonardo’s Last Supper, one of the world’s best-known paintings, is here, as are the collections at the Pinoteca di Brera and Pinoteca Ambrosiana, both filled with priceless Italian art dating from the Renaissance to the 20th century. Today, however, the city’s most famous export may be its championship soccer teams, Inter and AC Milan. When they face off twice annually, the entire city comes to a halt as all eyes follow the match. Hearts pound with every pass and goal, and screams erupt at the sight of each yellow card. The city has everything that’s to be expected from a world-class metropolis—wealth, culture, sport, and more—all carried off with that cosmopolitan, stylish élan of which the Vespa-driving, street-smart Milanese are so proud.