An insider's guide to this magical region by a local resident. Milan is home to Da Vinci's Last Supper and the world's most famous opera house, La Scala. It was here that Verdi's Otello and Puccini's Madame Butterfly were first performed. Milan is one of the great centers for high fashion, and home to some of the world's oldest and most elegant shopping streets. And then there are the lakes. Lake Garda's shoreline is a sheer cliff in many places, with the Alps soaring above. Beautiful Lake Como is ringed with villas, some dating from medieval and Roman times. This is a guide to all the unforgettable palaces and churches, the museums, the shops, the great restaurants and hotels. Photos, maps, index.