World Cup 2014: Milan's busy spirit reflected in soccer clubs AC Milan, Internazionale

World Cup 2014: Milan’s busy spirit reflected in soccer clubs AC Milan, Internazionale

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The installation “Scale Infinite” is displayed at the Milan Design Fair. The sprawling Milan furniture show is the largest and most prestigious in the world, capitalizing on Italian excellence in furniture design and craftsmanship. (Luca Bruno / Associated Press)

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Visitors look at creations during Milan’s annual furniture fair at the Fiera Milano in Rho. (Olivier Morin / AFP/Getty Images)

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A general view of the Casa Milan during the inauguration of AC Milan’s new purpose-built headquarters on May 19, 2014, in Milan, Italy. (Marco Luzzani / Getty Images)

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AC Milan’s Ghanaian defender Prince Kevin Boateng jumps for the ball during a match between AC Milan and FC Barcelona at San Siro stadium in Milan. (Giuseppe Cacace / AFP/Getty Images)

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Esteban Cambiasso of FC Inter Milan and Mark Van Bommel of AC Milan during a match between the two teams at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan, Italy. (Claudio Villa / Getty Images)

By April Orcutt

June 6, 2014 6:52 PM PT

Leonardo da Vinci, who painted his famous “The Last Supper” in Milan, also helped with the hydraulic engineering of the city’s canals, most of which have since disappeared. He’s the ideal representative of this city: a mix of art and practicality. Milan is the opposite of Rome: Its reputation is built on industriousness, business, banks and factories. But like Da Vinci, Milan has an artistic side. The Milanese spirit of hard work has blended with artistic creativity and high Italian style to build the city’s massive fashion and design empires. Of course, among the hard-working Milanese are its dedicated soccer players.

Must see: The area around Milan contains several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Santa Maria della Grazie church that houses “The Last Supper.” The fashion district is a world center of refined taste as well as glitz — and the place to find the highest-end labels. La Rinascente, Italy’s first and most famous department store, is said to attract 20 million visitors a year, twice the number seen at Paris’ Louvre .

The soccer scene: The home teams, AC Milan and FC Internazionale, play in Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, nicknamed Stadio San Siro, which holds more than 80,000 spectators. The best place to watch matches on TV with locals is Four Four Two, 61 Via Giulio Cesare Procaccini; 011-39-02-3944-8023; www.fourfourtwo.it.

Beware: Sweet-looking children. They may divert your attention while someone else picks your pocket.

Best time to go: The best months for soccer are April and May, near the end of the season. Milan’s climate is similar to New York City’s. Weather is better from March to October. The major fashion weeks are in February and September (the next: Sept. 17-23). The Salone del Mobile, a massive home-furnishing exhibition, is tentatively scheduled for April 21-26, which could make hotel rooms hard to find.

Info: https://www.tourism.milan.it

Airfare: $1,245-$2,152.

travel@latimes.com