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Florentine cobbler Salvatore Ferragamo raised footwear to a modern art form when he shod Hollywood stars from Greta Garbo to Sophia Loren. There’s now a full clothing line.

August 15, the Feast of the Assumption, is the day most Italians head to the beach or lakes for a two-week holiday, and life outside the resorts comes to a virtual halt. Mantua does have a 15 August celebration of street artists, but Milan virtually shuts down. Only the restaurants and bars of the Navigli remain open.

His recent lines are aimed at the youth market (Ferré Jeans) and people of a larger build (Ferré Forma).

Milan’s trendy Navigli canal district celebrates the start of summer on the first Sunday in June by bursting into a street fair with artisan stalls and live music.

Bargain-basement prices on brand-name clothing (Missoni, Ferrè, Yves St Laurent). Major label dresses under €150, suits under €200.

Lombardy boasts four Serie A teams, two of them in Milan (see Attractions for Children). San Siro stadium is the main venue (see San Siro (Stadio Meazza)).

An emotion-packed calcio (football) match at Milan’s striking San Siro stadium (see San Siro (Stadio Meazza)) is fun for sports fans of all ages. And with two Serie A teams calling Milan home – Inter and AC Milan – the chances of catching a top-flight match during the season are excellent. Check out their websites for game schedules, or the LegaCalcio website for information on Lombardy’s other two Serie A squads, Como and Brescia. Alternatively, the Inter-Milan Museum (Gate 4, San Siro) comprises a visit to the stadium and the changing rooms.

The top hotel in town was converted in 1993 from a 15th-century convent, complete with some frescoes. Superior rooms are on the street side, deluxe ones open on to the cloisters. Milan’s best shops are nearby, and one of the area’s best restaurants, Il Teatro, is in the hotel’s basement (see Il Teatro del Four Seasons, Milan).

Born in Venice, Hayez moved to Rome – where he mixed with Ingres and Canova – then Milan, balancing his painting between the Romantic and Neo-Classical ideals of the age. He became director of the Pinacoteca di Brera.

South of Lake Iseo, Italy’s only DOCG sparkling wine; try Saten. Also red (Cabernet-Merlot) and white (Chardonnay-Pinot) DOCs.