Milan

Milan(/mɪˈlæn/mil-AN,USalso/mɪˈlɑːn/mil-AHN,Milanese:[miˈlãː];Italian:Milano[miˈlaːno]) is a city innorthern Italy, regional capital ofLombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban populationand thesecond-most-populous city proper in ItalyafterRome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million,while itsmetropolitan cityhas 3.22 million residents.Theurban areaof Milan is the fourth-most-populous in the EU with 6.17 million inhabitants.According to national sources, the population within the widerMilan metropolitan area(also known as Greater Milan) is estimated between 7.5 million and 8.2 million, making it by far thelargest metropolitan area in Italyandone of the largest in the EU.Milan is the economic capital of Italy, one of the economic capitals of Europe and a globalfinancial centre.
Milan is a leadingalphaglobal city, with strengths in the fields ofart,chemicals, commerce, design, education, entertainment,fashion, finance, healthcare, media (communication), services, research, and tourism.Its business district hostsItaly's stock exchange(Italian:Borsa Italiana), and the headquarters of national and international banks and companies. In terms of GDP, Milan is the wealthiest city in Italy, having also one of thelargest economiesamong EU cities.Milan is viewed along withTurinas the southernmost part of theBlue Bananaurban development corridor (also known as the "European Megalopolis"), and one of theFour Motors for Europe. Milan is a major international tourist destination, appearing among the most visited cities in the world, ranking second in Italy after Rome, fifth in Europe and sixteenth in the world.Milan is a major cultural centre, with museums and art galleries that include some of the most important collections in the world, such as major works byLeonardo da Vinci.It also hosts numerous educational institutions, academies and universities, with 11% of the national total of enrolled students.
Founded around 590 BCunder the name Medhelanon by aCeltictribe belonging to theInsubresgroup and belonging to theGolasecca culture, itwas conqueredby theancient Romansin 222 BC, whoLatinizedthe name of the city intoMediolanum.The city's role as a major political centre dates back to thelate antiquity, when it served as the capital of theWestern Roman Empire.From the 12th century until the 16th century, Milan was one of the largest European cities and a major trade and commercial centre, as the capital of theDuchy of Milan, one of the greatest political, artistic and fashion forces in theRenaissance.Having become one of the main centres of theItalian Enlightenmentduring theearly modern period, it then became one of the most active centres during theRestoration, until its entry into the unifiedKingdom of Italy. From the 20th century onwards Milan became the industrial and financial capital of Italy.According to a 2024 study published inNatureand reported byThe Economist, Milan was ranked as the mostwalkablecity in the world.
Milan has been recognized as one of the world's fourfashion capitals.Many of the most famous luxury fashion brands in the world have their headquarters in the city, including:Armani,Prada,Versace,Valentino,Loro PianaandZegna.It also hosts several international events and fairs, includingMilan Fashion Weekand theMilan Furniture Fair, which are among the world's biggest in terms of revenue, visitors and growth.The city is served by many luxury hotels and is the fifth most starred in the world byMichelin Guide.It hosted theUniversal Expositionin1906and2015. In the field of sports, Milan is home to two of Europe's most successful football teams,AC MilanandInter Milan, and one of Europe's main basketball teams,Olimpia Milano. Milan will host theWinter OlympicandParalympicgames for the first time in 2026, together withCortina d'Ampezzo.
Milan was founded with the Celtic name of Medhelanon,laterLatinizedby theancient RomansintoMediolanum. InCeltic languagemedhe-meant "middle, centre" and the name element-lanonis the Celtic equivalent of Latin-planum"plain", meant "(settlement) in the midst of the plain",or of "place between watercourses" (Celticmedhe= "in the middle, central";landorlan= "land"), given the presence of theOlona,Lambro,Sevesorivers and the Nirone and Pudiga streams.
TheLatinnameMediolanumcomes from the Latin wordsmedio(in the middle) andplanus(plain).However, some scholars believe thatlanumcomes from theCelticrootlan, meaning an enclosure or demarcated territory (source of theWelshwordllan, meaning "a sanctuary or church", ultimately cognate to English/GermanLand) in which Celtic communities used to build shrines.
HenceMediolanumcould signify the central town or sanctuary of a Celtic tribe. Indeed, about sixty Gallo-Roman sites in France bore the name "Mediolanum", for example:Saintes(Mediolanum Santonum) andÉvreux(Mediolanum Aulercorum).In addition, another theory links the name to thescrofa semilanuta("half-woolly sow") an ancient emblem of the city, fancifully accounted for inAndrea Alciato'sEmblemata(1584), beneath a woodcut of the first raising of the city walls, where a boar is seen lifted from the excavation, and the etymology ofMediolanumgiven as "half-wool",explained in Latin and in French.
According to this theory, the foundation of Milan is credited to twoCeltic peoples, theBiturigesand theAedui, having as theiremblemsa ram and a boar;therefore "Thecity's symbolis a wool-bearing boar, an animal of double form, here with sharp bristles, there with sleek wool."Alciato creditsAmbrosefor his account.
Around 590 BCa Celtic tribe belonging to theInsubresgroup and belonging to theGolasecca culturesettled the city under the name Medhelanon.According to the legend reported byLivy(writing between 27 and 9 BC), theGaulishkingAmbicatussent his nephewBellovesusinto northern Italy at the head of a party drawn from various Gaulish tribes; Bellovesus allegedly founded the settlement in the times of the Roman monarchy, during the reign ofTarquinius Priscus. Tarquin is traditionally recorded as reigning from 616 to 579 BC, according to ancient Roman historian Titus Livy.
Medhelanon, in particular, was developed around asanctuary, which was the oldest area of the village.The sanctuary, which consisted of a wooded area in the shape of an ellipse with a central clearing, was aligned according to precise astronomical points. For this reason, it was used for religious gatherings, especially in particular celebratory moments. The sanctuary of Medhelanon was an ellipse with axes of 443 m (1,453 ft) and 323 m (1,060 ft) located nearPiazza della Scala.The urban planning profile was based on these early paths, and on the shape of the sanctuary, reached, in some cases, up to the 19th century and even beyond. For example, the route of the modern Corso Vittorio Emanuele,Piazza del Duomo,Piazza Cordusioand Via Broletto, which is curvilinear, could correspond to the south side of the ellipse of the ancient sanctuary of Medhelanon.
One axis of the Medhelanon sanctuary was aligned towards theheliacal risingofAntares, while the other towards the heliacal rising ofCapella. The latter coincided with a Celtic spring festival celebrated on 24 March, while the heliacal rising of Antares corresponded with 11 November, which opened and closed the Celtic year and which coincided with the point where the Sun rose on the wintersolstice.About two centuries after the creation of the Celtic sanctuary, the first residential settlements began to be built around it. Medhelanon then transformed from a simple religious center to an urban and then military centre, thus becoming a real village.
The first homes were built just south of the Celtic sanctuary, near the modernRoyal Palace of Milan.Subsequently, with the growth of the town centre, other important buildings for the Medhelanon community were built. First, a temple dedicated to the goddessBelisamawas built, which was located near the modernMilan Cathedral. Then, near the modern Via Moneta, which is located near today'sPiazza San Sepolcro, a fortified building with military functions was built which was surrounded by a defensive moat.
During theRoman Republic, the Romans, led by consulGnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus, fought the Insubres and captured the settlement in 222 BC. The chief of the Insubres then submitted to Rome, giving the Romans control of the settlement.The Romans eventuallyconquered the entirety of the region, calling the newprovince"Cisalpine Gaul" (Latin:Gallia Cisalpina)—"Gaul this side of the Alps"—and may have given the city its Latinized name of Mediolanum: inGaulish*medio-meant "middle, centre" and the name element-lanonis the Celtic equivalent of Latin-planum"plain", thus*Mediolanon(Latinized asMediolānum) meant "(settlement) in the midst of the plain".Mediolanum became the most important center of Cisalpine Gaul and, in the wake of economic development, in 49 BC, was elevated, within theLex Roscia, to the status ofmunicipium.
The ancient Celtic settlement was, from atopographicpoint of view, superimposed and replaced by the Roman one. The Roman city was then gradually superimposed and replaced by the medieval one. The urban center of Milan has therefore grown constantly and rapidly, until modern times, around the first Celtic nucleus. The original Celtic toponym Medhelanon then changed, as evidenced by a graffiti in Celtic language present on a section of the Roman walls of Milan which dates back to a period following the Roman conquest of the Celtic village, in Mesiolano.In 286, the Roman EmperorDiocletianmoved the capital of theWestern Roman Empirefrom Rome to Mediolanum.Diocletian himself chose to reside atNicomediain the Eastern Empire, leaving his colleagueMaximianat Milan.
During the Augustan age Mediolanum was famous for its schools; it possessed a theatre and anamphitheatre(129.5 x 109.3 m), the third largest inRoman Italyafter theColosseumin Rome and the vast amphitheatre inCapua.A large stone wall encircled the city in Caesar's time, and later was expanded in the late third century AD, by Maximian. Maximian built several gigantic monuments including the largecircus(470 × 85 metres) and thethermaeorBaths of Hercules, a large complex of imperial palaces and other services and buildings of which few visible traces remain. Maximian increased the city area to 375 acres by surrounding it with a new, larger stone wall (about 4.5 km long) with many 24-sided towers. The monumental area had twin towers; the one included later in the construction of the convent ofSan Maurizio Maggioreremains 16.6 m high.
It was from Mediolanum that theEmperor Constantineissued what is now known as theEdict of Milanin AD 313, granting tolerance to all religions within the Empire, thus paving the way for Christianity to become the dominant religion of the Empire. Constantine was in Mediolanum to celebrate the wedding of his sister to the Eastern Emperor,Licinius. In 402, theVisigothsbesieged the city and theEmperor Honoriusmoved the Imperial residence toRavenna.In 452,Attilabesieged the city, but the real break with the city's Imperial past came in 539, during theGothic War, whenUraias(a nephew ofWitiges, formerly King of theItalian Ostrogoths) carried out attacks in Milan, with losses, according toProcopius, being about 300,000 men. TheLombardstookTicinumas their capital in 572 (renaming itPapia– the modernPavia), and leftearly-medievalMilan to the governance of itsarchbishops.
After the siege of the city by the Visigoths in 402, the imperial residence moved to Ravenna. Attila, King of theHuns,sacked and devastated the cityin 452 AD. In 539 theOstrogothsconquered and destroyed Milan during the Gothic War againstByzantineEmperorJustinian I. In the summer of 569 the Lombards (from whom the name of the Italian regionLombardyderives), conquered Milan, overpowering the smallByzantine garrisonleft for its defence. Some Roman structures remained in use in Milan under Lombard rule.Milan surrendered toCharlemagneand theFranksin 774.
The 11th century saw a reaction against the control of theHoly Roman Emperors. City-states emerged in northern Italy, an expression of the new political power of the cities and their will to fight against all feudal powers. Milan was no exception. It did not take long, however, for the Italian city-states to begin fighting each other to try to limit neighbouring powers.The Milanese destroyed Lodi and continuously warred with Pavia, Cremona and Como, who in turn askedFrederick I Barbarossafor help. In a sally they capturedEmpress Beatriceand forced her toride a donkeybackward through the city until getting out. Frederick I Barbarossa brought the destruction of much of Milan in 1162.
A period of peace followed and Milan prospered as a centre of trade due to its geographical position. During this time, the city was considered one of the largest European cities.As a result of the independence that the Lombard cities gained in thePeace of Constancein 1183, Milan returned to the commune form of local government first established in the 11th century.
In 1395,Gian Galeazzo Viscontibecame the firstDuke of Milanupon receiving the title fromWenceslaus, King of the Romans. In 1447Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, died without a male heir; following the end of the Visconti line, theAmbrosian Republicwas established; it took its name from St. Ambrose, the popular patron saint of the city.Both the Guelph and the Ghibelline factions worked together to bring about the Ambrosian Republic in Milan. Nonetheless, the Republic collapsed when, in 1450, Milan was conquered byFrancesco Iof theHouse of Sforza, which made Milan one of the leading cities of the ItalianRenaissance.Under the House of Sforza, Milan experienced a period of great prosperity, which in particular saw the development of mulberry cultivation and silk processing.
Following this economic growth, works such as theSforza Castle(already existing in the Visconti era under the name of Porta Giovia Castle, but re-adapted, enlarged and completed by the Sforza family) and theOspedale Maggiorewere completed. The Sforzas also managed to attract to Milan personalities such asLeonardo da Vinci, who redesigned and improved the function of thenavigliand paintedThe Last Supper, andBramante, who worked on thechurch of Santa Maria presso San Satiro, on thebasilica of Sant'Ambrogioand to thechurch of Santa Maria delle Grazie, influencing the development of theLombard Renaissance.
Milan's last independent ruler,Lodovico il Moro, requested the aid ofCharles VIII of Franceagainst the otherItalian states, eventually unleashing theItalian Wars. The king's cousin,Louis of Orléans, took part in the expedition and realized most of Italy was virtually defenseless. This prompted him to come back a few years later in 1500, and claim the Duchy of Milan for himself, his grandmother having been a member of the rulingViscontifamily. At that time, Milan was also defended bySwiss mercenaries. After the victory of Louis's successor François I over the Swiss at theBattle of Marignan, the duchy was promised to the French kingFrançois I. When the Spanish Habsburg EmperorCharles Vdefeated François I at theBattle of Paviain 1525,northern Italy, which included Milan, passed toHabsburg Spain.
In 1556, Charles V abdicated in favour of his sonPhilip IIand his brotherFerdinand I. Charles's Italian possessions, including Milan, passed to Philip II and remained with the Spanish line of Habsburgs, while Ferdinand's Austrian line of Habsburgs ruled the Holy Roman Empire. TheGreat Plague of Milanin 1629–31, that claimed the lives of an estimated 60,000 people out of a population of 130,000, caused unprecedented devastation in the city and was effectively described byAlessandro Manzoniin his masterpieceThe Betrothed. This episode was seen by many as the symbol of Spanish bad rule and decadence and is considered one of the last outbreaks of the centuries-longpandemicof plague that began with theBlack Death.
In 1700, the Spanish line of Habsburgs was extinguished with the death ofCharles II. After his death, theWar of the Spanish Successionbegan in 1701. In 1706, the French were defeated inRamilliesandTurinand were forced to yield northern Italy to theAustrian Habsburgs. In 1713–1714 the Treaties ofUtrechtandRastattformally confirmed Austrian sovereignty over most of Habsburg Spain's Italian possessions including Lombardy and its capital, Milan.
Napoleoninvaded Italy in 1796, and Milan was declared capital of theCisalpine Republic. Later, he declared Milan capital of theKingdom of Italyand was crowned King of Italy in the cathedral. After Napoleon's occupation ended, theCongress of Viennareturned Lombardy and Milan to Austrian control in 1815.
On 18 March 1848 Milan effectively rebelled against Austrian rule, during the so-called "Five Days" (Italian:Le Cinque Giornate), that forced Field MarshalRadetzkyto temporarily withdraw from the city. The borderingKingdom of Piedmont–Sardiniasent troops to protect the insurgents and organised aplebiscitethat ratified by a huge majority the unification of Lombardy with Piedmont–Sardinia. But just a few months later the Austrians were able to send fresh forces that routed the Piedmontese army at theBattle of Custozaon 24 July and to reassert Austrian control over northern Italy. About ten years later, however, Italian nationalist politicians, officers and intellectuals such asCavour,GaribaldiandMazziniwere able to gather a huge consensus and to pressure the monarchy to forge an alliance with the newFrench EmpireofNapoleon IIIto defeat Austria and establish a large Italian state in the region. At theBattle of Solferinoin 1859 French and Italian troops heavily defeated the Austrians that retreated under theQuadrilateral line.Following this battle, Milan and the rest of Lombardy were incorporated into Piedmont-Sardinia, which then proceeded to annex all the other Italian statelets and proclaim the birth of theKingdom of Italyon 17 March 1861.
The politicalunification of Italyenhanced Milan's economic dominance over northern Italy. A dense rail network, whose construction had started under Austrian patronage, was completed in a brief time, making Milan the rail hub of northern Italy and, with the opening of theGotthard(1882) andSimplon(1906) railway tunnels, the major South European rail hub for goods and passenger transport. Indeed, Milan and Venice were among the main stops of theOrient Expressthat started operating from 1919.Abundant hydroelectric resources allowed the development of a strong steel and textile sector and, as Milanese banks dominated Italy's financial sphere, the city became the country's leading financial centre. In May 1898, Milan was shaken by theBava Beccaris massacre, a riot related to soaring cost of living.
Milan's northern location in Italy closer to Europe, secured also a leading role for the city on the political scene. It was in Milan thatBenito Mussolinibuilt his political and journalistic careers, and his fascistBlackshirtsrallied for the first time in the city's Piazza San Sepolcro; here the futureFascistdictator launched hisMarch on Romeon 28 October 1922. During theSecond World WarMilan's large industrial and transport facilitiessuffered extensive damage from Allied bombingsthat often also hit residential districts.When Italysurrenderedin 1943, German forces occupied and plundered most of northern Italy, fueling the birth of a massive resistance guerrilla movement.On 29 April 1945, the American1st Armored Divisionwas advancing on Milan but, before it arrived, the Italian resistance seized control of the city andexecuted Mussolinialong with his mistress and several regime officers, that were later hanged and exposed inPiazzale Loreto, where one year before some resistance members had been executed.
During the post-war economic boom, the reconstruction effort and theItalian economic miracleattracted a large wave of internal migration (especially from rural areas ofsouthern Italy) to Milan. The population grew from 1.3 million in 1951 to 1.7 million in 1967.During this period, Milan was rapidly rebuilt, with the construction of several innovative and modernist skyscrapers, such as theTorre Velascaand thePirelli Tower, that soon became the symbols of this new era of prosperity.The economic prosperity was, however, overshadowed in the late 1960s and early 1970s during the so-calledYears of lead, when Milan witnessed an unprecedented wave of street violence,labour strikesandpolitical terrorism. The apex of this period of turmoil occurred on 12 December 1969, whena bombexploded at the National Agrarian Bank in Piazza Fontana, killing 17 people and injuring 88.
In the 1980s, with the international success of Milanese houses (likeArmani,Prada,Versace,MoschinoandDolce & Gabbana), Milan became one of the world's fashion capitals. The city saw also a marked rise ininternational tourism, notably from America and Japan, while the stock exchange increased its market capitalisation more than five-fold.This period led the mass media to nickname the metropolis"Milano da bere", literally "Milan to be drunk".But in the 1990s Milan was badly affected byTangentopoli, a political scandal in which many politicians and businessmen were tried for corruption. The city was also affected by a severe financial crisis and a steady decline in textiles, automobile and steel production.Berlusconi's Milano 2 and Milano 3 projects were the most important housing projects of the 1980s and 1990s in Milan and brought to the city new economical and social energy.
In the early 21st century Milan underwent a series of sweeping redevelopments over huge former industrial areas.Two new business districts,Porta NuovaandCityLife, were built in the space of a decade, radically changing the skyline of the city. Its exhibition centre moved to a much larger site inRho.The long decline in traditional manufacturing has been overshadowed by a great expansion of publishing, finance, banking, fashion design, information technology, logistics and tourism.The city's decades-long population decline seems to have partially reverted in recent years, as thecomunegained about 100,000 new residents since the last census. The successful re-branding of the city as a global capital of innovation has been instrumental in its successful bids for hosting large international events such as2015 Expoand2026 Winter Olympics.
Milan is located in the north-western section of thePo Valley, approximately halfway between the riverPoto the south and the foothills of theAlpswith the great lakes (Lake Como,Lake MaggioreandLake Lugano) to the north, theTicinoriver to the west and theAddato the east. The city's land is flat, the highest point being at 122 m (400.26 ft)above sea level.
The administrativecomunecovers an area of about 181 square kilometres (70 sq mi), with a population, in 2013, of 1,324,169 and a population density of 7,315 inhabitants per square kilometre (18,950/sq mi). TheMetropolitan City of Milancovers 1,575 square kilometres (608 sq mi) and in 2015 had a population estimated at 3,196,825, with a resulting density of 2,029 inhabitants per square kilometre (5,260/sq mi).A larger urban area, comprising parts of the provinces of Milan, Monza e Brianza, Como, Lecco and Varese is 1,891 square kilometres (730 sq mi) wide and has a population of 5.27 million with a density of 2,783 inhabitants per square kilometre (7,210/sq mi).
The concentric layout of the city centre reflects theNavigli, an ancient system of navigable and interconnected canals, now mostly covered.The suburbs of the city have expanded mainly to the north, swallowing up manycomunialong the roads towards Varese, Como, Lecco and Bergamo.In the 21st century the Navigli region of Milan is a highly active area with a large number of residential units, bars and restaurants. It is also a well-known centre for artists.
Milan features a mid-latitude, four-seasonhumid subtropical climate(Cfa), according to theKöppen climate classification. Milan's climate is similar to much of Northern Italy's inland plains, with hot, humid summers and cold, foggy winters. The Alps andApennine Mountainsform a natural barrier that protects the city from the major circulations coming from northern Europe and the sea.
During winter daily average temperatures can fall below freezing (0 °C [32 °F]) and accumulations of snow can occur: the historic average of Milan's area is 25 centimetres (10 in) in the period between 1961 and 1990, with a record of 90 centimetres (35 in) in January 1985. In the suburbs the average can reach 36 centimetres (14 in).The city receives on average seven days of snow per year.
The city was often shrouded in thick cloud or fog during winter, although the removal of rice paddies from the southern neighbourhoods and theurban heat islandeffect have greatly reduced this occurrence since the turn of the 21st century. Occasionally, theFoehnwinds cause the temperatures to rise unexpectedly: on 22 January 2012 the daily high reached 16 °C (61 °F) while on 22 February 2012 it reached 21 °C (70 °F).Air pollution levels rise significantly in wintertime whencold air clings to the soil, causing Milan to be one of Europe's most polluted cities.
Summers in Milan are hot and humidity levels are high with peak temperatures reaching above 35 °C (95 °F). Due to the high humidity, urban heat effect and lack of wind, nighttimes often remain muggy during the summer months.Usually the summer enjoys clearer skies with an average of more than 13 hours of daylight:when precipitation occurs though, it is more likely to be accompanied by thunderstorms andhail.Springs and autumns are generally pleasant, with temperatures ranging between 10 and 20 °C (50 and 68 °F); these seasons are characterized by higher rainfall, especially in April and May.Relative humidity typically ranges between 45% (comfortable) and 95% (very humid) throughout the year, rarely dropping below 27% (dry) and reaching as high as 100%.Wind is generally absent: over the course of the year typical wind speeds vary from 0 to 14 km/h (0 to 9 mph) (calm to gentle breeze), rarely exceeding 29 km/h (18 mph) (fresh breeze), except during summer thunderstorms when winds can blow strong. In the spring, gale-force windstorms may happen, generated either byTramontaneblowing from the Alps or byBora-like winds from the north. Due to its geographic location surrounded by mountains on 3 sides, Milan is among the least windy cities in Europe.
The legislative body of the Italiancomuniis theCity Council(Consiglio Comunale), which in cities with more than one million population is composed by 48 councillors elected every five years with a proportional system, at the same time of the mayoral elections. The executive body is the City Committee (Giunta Comunale), composed by 12assessors, that is nominated and presided over by a directly electedMayor. The current mayor of Milan isGiuseppe Sala, an independent leading a centre-left alliance led by theDemocratic Party.
The municipality of Milan is subdivided into nine administrative Borough Councils (Consigli di Municipio), down from the former twenty districts before the 1999 administrative reform.Each Borough Council is governed by a Council (Consiglio) and a President, elected contextually to the city Mayor. The urban organisation is governed by the Italian Constitution (art. 114), the Municipal Statuteand several laws, notably the Legislative Decree 267/2000 or Unified Text on Local Administration (Testo Unico degli Enti Locali).After the 2016 administrative reform, the Borough Councils have the power to advise the Mayor with nonbinding opinions on a large spectrum of topics and are responsible for running most local services, such as schools, social services, waste collection, roads, parks, libraries and local commerce; in addition they are supplied with an autonomous funding to finance local activities.
Milan is the capital of the eponymous Metropolitan city. According to the last governmental dispositions concerning administrative reorganisation, the urban area of Milan is one of the 15Metropolitan municipalities(città metropolitane), new administrative bodies fully operative since 1 January 2015.The new Metro municipalities, giving large urban areas the administrative powers of a province, are conceived for improving the performance of local administrations and to slash local spending by better co-ordinating the municipalities in providing basic services (including transport, school and social programs) and environment protection.In this policy framework, the Mayor of Milan is designated to exercise the functions of Metropolitan mayor (Sindaco metropolitano), presiding over a Metropolitan Council formed by 24 mayors of municipalities within the Metro municipality. The Metropolitan City of Milan is headed by the Metropolitan Mayor (Sindaco metropolitano) and by the Metropolitan Council (Consiglio metropolitano). Since 21 June 2016, Giuseppe Sala, as mayor of the capital city, has been the mayor of the Metropolitan City.
Milan is also the capital of Lombardy, one of the twentyregionsof Italy. Lombardy is by far the most populated region of Italy, with more than ten million inhabitants, almost one sixth of the national total. It is governed by a Regional Council, composed of 80 members elected for a five-year term. On 26 March 2018, a list of candidates of thecentre-right coalition, a coalition of centrist and right-wing parties, led by Attilio Fontana, largely won the regional election, defeating a coalition of socialists, liberals and ecologists and a third-party candidate from the populistFive Stars Movement. The conservatives have governed the region almost uninterruptedly since 1970. The regional council has 48 members from the centre-right coalition, 18 from thecentre-left coalitionand 13 from the Five Star Movement. The seat of the regional government isPalazzo Lombardiathat, standing at 161.3 metres (529 feet),is the fifth-tallest building in Milan.
Thearchitectural and artistic presence in Milanrepresents one of the attractions of the Lombard capital. Milan has been among the most important Italian centers in thehistory of architecture, has made important contributions to the development of art history, and has been the cradle of a number ofmodern artmovements.
There are only few remains of the ancient Roman city, notably the well-preservedColonne di San Lorenzo. During the second half of the 4th century, Saint Ambrose, as bishop of Milan, had a strong influence on the layout of the city, reshaping the centre (although the cathedral and baptistery built in Roman times are now lost) and building the great basilicas at the city gates: Sant'Ambrogio,San Nazaro in Brolo,San SimplicianoandSant'Eustorgio, which still stand, refurbished over the centuries, as some of the finest and most important churches in Milan.Milan's Cathedral, built between 1386 and 1877, is the largest church in the Italian Republic—the largerSt. Peter's Basilicais in theState of Vatican City, a sovereign state—and thethird largest in the world,as well as the most important example ofGothic architecturein Italy. The gilt bronze statue of theVirgin Mary, placed in 1774 on the highest pinnacle of the Duomo, soon became one of the most enduring symbols of Milan.
In the 15th century, when the Sforza ruled the city, an old Viscontean fortress was enlarged and embellished to become the Castello Sforzesco, the seat of an elegant Renaissance court surrounded by a walled hunting park. Notable architects involved in the project included theFlorentineFilarete, who was commissioned to build the high central entrance tower, and the military specialist Bartolomeo Gadio.The alliance between Francesco Sforza and Florence'sCosimo de' Medicibore to Milan Tuscan models of Renaissance architecture, apparent in theOspedale Maggioreand Bramante's work in the city, which includes Santa Maria presso San Satiro (a reconstruction of a small 9th-century church), the tribune ofSanta Maria delle Grazieand three cloisters for Sant'Ambrogio.TheCounter-Reformationin the 16th to 17th centuries was also the period ofSpanish dominationand was marked by two powerful figures:Saint Charles Borromeoand his cousin,Cardinal Federico Borromeo. Not only did they impose themselves as moral guides to the people of Milan, but they also gave a great impulse to culture, with the creation of theBiblioteca Ambrosiana, in a building designed byFrancesco Maria Richini, and the nearby Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. Many notable churches and Baroque mansions were built in the city during this period by the architects,Pellegrino Tibaldi,Galeazzo Alessiand Richini himself.
EmpressMaria Theresa of Austriawas responsible for the significant renovations carried out in Milan during the 18th century.This urban and artistic renewal included the establishment ofTeatro alla Scala, inaugurated in 1778, and the renovation of the Royal Palace. The late 1700sPalazzo BelgioiosobyGiuseppe PiermariniandRoyal Villa of MilanbyLeopoldo Pollack, later the official residence of Austrian viceroys, are often regarded among the best examples ofNeoclassical architecturein Lombardy.TheNapoleonicrule of the city in 1805–1814, having established Milan as the capital of a satellite Kingdom of Italy, took steps to reshape it accordingly to its new status, with the construction of large boulevards, new squares (Porta TicinesebyLuigi Cagnolaand Foro Bonaparte byGiovanni Antonio Antolini) and cultural institutions (Art Galleryand theAcademy of Fine Arts).The massiveArch of Peace, situated at the bottom of Corso Sempione, is often compared to theArc de Triomphein Paris. In the second half of the 19th century, Milan quickly became the main industrial centre of the new Italian nation, drawing inspiration from the great European capitals that were hubs of theSecond Industrial Revolution. The greatGalleria Vittorio Emanuele II, realised byGiuseppe Mengonibetween 1865 and 1877 to celebrateVittorio Emanuele II, is a covered passage with a glass and cast iron roof, inspired by theBurlington Arcadein London. Several other arcades such as theGalleria del Corso, built between 1923 and 1931, complement it. Another late-19th-century eclectic monument in the city is theCimitero Monumentalegraveyard, built in aNeo-Romanesquestyle between 1863 and 1866.
The tumultuous period of early 20th century brought several, radical innovations in Milanese architecture.Art Nouveau, also known asLibertyin Italy, is recognisable inPalazzo Castiglioni, built by architectGiuseppe Sommarugabetween 1901 and 1903.Other examples include Hotel Corso,Casa Guazzoniwith its wrought iron and staircase, and Berri-Meregalli house, the latter built in a traditional Milanese Art Nouveau style combined with elements of neo-Romanesque and Gothic revival architecture, regarded as one of the last such types of architecture in the city.A new, more eclectic form of architecture can be seen in buildings such as Castello Cova, built the 1910s in a distinctly neo-medieval style, evoking the architectural trends of the past.An important example ofArt Deco, which blended such styles withFascist architecture, is the hugeCentral railway stationinaugurated in 1931.
The post-World War II period saw rapid reconstruction and fast economic growth, accompanied by a nearly two-fold increase in population. In the 1950s and 1960s, a strong demand for new residential and commercial areas drove to extreme urban expansion, that has produced some of the major milestones in the city's architectural history, includingGio Ponti's Pirelli Tower (1956–60), Velasca Tower (1956–58), and the creation of brand new residential satellite towns, as well as huge amounts of low-quality public housings. In recent years, de-industrialization,urban decayand gentrification led to a vast urban renewal of former industrial areas, that have been transformed into modern residential and financial districts, notably Porta Nuova in downtown Milan andFieraMilanoin the suburb ofRho. In addition, the old exhibition area is being completely reshaped according to the Citylife regeneration project, featuring residencial areas, museums, an urban park and three skyscrapers designed by international architects, and after whom they are named: the 202-metre (663-foot)Isozaki Arata—when completed, the tallest building in Italy,the twistedHadid Tower,and the curvedLibeskind Tower.
Two business districts dominate Milan's skyline:Porta Nuovain the north-east (boroughs No. 9 and 2) andCityLife(borough No. 8) in the north-west part of the commune. Thetallest buildingsinclude theUnicredit Towerat 231 m (though only 162 m without the spire), and the 209 mAllianz Tower, a 50-story tower.
The largest parks in the central area of Milan areSempione Park, at the north-western edge, andMontanelli Gardens, situated north-east of the city. English-style Sempione Park, built in 1890, contains theCivic Arena, theCivic Aquarium of Milan(which is the third oldest aquarium inEurope), a steel lattice panoramic tower, an art exhibition centre, a Japanese garden and a public library.The Montanelli gardens, created in the 18th century, hosts theNatural History Museum of Milanand aplanetarium.Slightly away from the city centre, heading east, Forlanini Park is characterised by a large pond and a few preserved shacks which remind of the area's agricultural past.In recent years Milan's authorities pledged to develop its green areas: they planned to create twenty new urban parks and extend the already existing ones, and announced plans to plant three million trees by 2030.
Also notable isMonte Stella("Starmount"), also informally called Montagnetta di San Siro ("Little mountain of San Siro"), an artificial hill and surrounding city park in Milan. The hill was created using the debris from the buildings that were bombed duringWorld War II, as well as from the last remnants of theSpanish wallsof the city, demolished in the mid 20th century. Even at only 25 m (82 ft) height, the hill provides a panoramic view of the city and hinterland, and in a clear day, the Alps and Apennines can be distinguished from atop. A notable area of the park is called "Giardino dei Giusti" (Garden of the Just), which is a memorial to distinguished opponents of genocide and crimes against humanity; each tree in the garden is dedicated to one such person. Notable people who have been dedicated a tree in the Giardino dei Giusti includeMoshe Bejski,Andrej Sakharov,Svetlana Broz, andPietro Kuciukian.
TheOrto Botanico di Breraabotanical gardenlocated behindPalazzo Breraat Via Brera 28 in the center of Milan, is another major park in the city. The garden consists primarily of rectangular flower-beds, trimmed in brick, with elliptical ponds from the 18th century, and specula andgreenhousefrom the 19th century (now used by the Academy of Fine Arts). It contains one of the oldestGinkgo bilobatrees in Europe, as well as mature specimens ofFirmiana platanifolia,Juglans nigra,Pterocarya fraxinifolia, andTilia.
In addition, even though Milan is located in one of the most urbanised regions of Italy, it is surrounded by a belt of green areas and features numerous gardens even in its very centre. The farmlands and woodlands north (Parco Nord Milano since 1975) and south (Parco Agricolo Sud Milanosince 1990) of the urban area have been protected as regional parks.West of the city, the Parco delle Cave (Sand pit park) has been established on a neglected site where gravel and sand used to be extracted, featuring artificial lakes and woods.
The official estimated population of the City of Milan was 1,417,597 as of 31 December 2023, according to the municipality's statistical office.
Mid-2024 estimates suggest that 3,251,166 people lived in Milan province-level municipality.The population of Milan today is lower than its historical peak. With rapid industrialization in post-war years, the population of Milan peaked at 1,743,427 in 1973.Thereafter, during the following decades, about one third of the population moved to the outer belt of suburbs and new satellite settlements that grew around the city proper.
Today, Milan's conurbation extends well beyond the borders of the city proper and of its special-status provincial authority: its contiguous built-up urban area was home to 5.27 million people in 2015,while its widermetropolitan area, the largest in Italy and fourth largest in the EU, is estimated to have a population of more than 8.2 million.
As of 2023, some 301,149 foreign residents lived in the municipality of Milan, representing 21.2% of the total resident population.These figures suggest that the immigrant population has more than doubled in the last 15 years.
After World War II, Milan experienced two main waves of immigration: the first, dating from the 1950s to the early 1970s, saw a large influx of migrants from poorer and rural areas within Italy; the second, starting from the late 1980s, has been characterized by the preponderance of foreign-born immigrants.
The early period coincided with the so-called Italian economic miracle of postwar years, an era of extraordinary growth based on rapid industrial expansion and great public works, that brought to the city a large influx of over 400,000 people, mainly from rural and underdeveloped Southern Italy.
Decades of continuing high immigration have made the city one of the most cosmopolitan and multicultural in Italy. Immigrants came mainly from Africa (in particularEritreans,Egyptians,Moroccans,SenegaleseandNigerian), and the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe (notablyAlbanians,Romanians,Ukrainians,Macedonians,Moldovans, andRussians), in addition to a growing number of Asians (in particularChinese,Sri LankansandFilipinos) and Latin Americans (Mainly South Americans). At the beginning of the 1990s, Milan already had a population of foreign-born residents of approximately 58,000 (or 4% of the then population), that rose rapidly to over 117,000 by the end of the decade (about 9% of the total).
Milan is home to the second-largestFar East Asiancommunity in Europe afterParis, with the Philippines and China, making up about a quarter of its foreign population (around 76,000 out of 301,000 in 2023). Another 4,000 foreigners come from other East Asian countries; notably, Milan hosts more than 2,000 Japanese nationals and 1,000 Koreans, excluding those who also hold Italian citizenship.Foreigners holding East-Asian citizenship thus make up around 5.36% of the city's population. Milan notably hosts the oldest and largest (along withPrato)Chinese communityin Italy, with around 37,000 people in 2023, excluding Italians of Chinese descent such as immigrants who have acquired Italian citizenship or their descendants. Situated in the8th district, and centered onVia Paolo Sarpi, an important commercial avenue, the Milanese Chinatown was originally established in the 1920s by immigrants fromWencheng County, in theZhejiang, and used to operate small textile and leather workshops.Milan also hosts a Japanese International school as well as various Chinese schools throughout the city.
The city also hosts an historical African community originating from theHorn of Africa. As of 2023, there were around 4,000 Eritrean, Ethiopian or Somali-born people living in Milan, the overwhelming majority being double-citizens of Italy. and not counting second and third generation migrants. The three countries were all Italian colonies at a time, from 1869 (Eritrea)to 1943 (East African campaign). Due to the historical links with Italy, a small community originating from the Horn of Africa has established its presence near Porta Venezia district starting from the 1970s.It is estimated that in the "Asmarina" area (Little Asmara) there are around 2,000-2,500 people from the Horn of Africa still living there, along with multiple restaurants, institutes as well as an Ethiopian Church.
Another notable area with a large presence of foreign residents coming from a specific country is the so-called "quadrilatero di San Siro" or "San Siro casbah" in reference to the large Arab-speaking populaition living in the area.The neighbourhood, consisting of around 6,000 municipal flats, is characterised by the fact of having an estimated 25% share of Arab-speaking inhabitants, mostly hailing from Egypt.The area has often been described as abanlieuewithin Milan and has historically had a higher crime rate than the rest of the city. Nevertheless, in recent years many projects have been presented so as to mitigate the marginalisation of its inhabitants. Other areas hosting large Arabic-speaking populations include Maciachini-Imbonati, Corvetto, Comasina and piazza Arcole.
Milan has a substantial English-speaking community (around 4,500 US citizens, British, Irish and Australian expatriates, excluding double-citizens), and several English schools and English-language publications, such asHello Milano,Where MilanoandEasy Milano.
Milan's population, like that of Italy as a whole, is mostly Catholic.It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Milan. Greater Milan is also home toProtestant,Eastern Orthodox, Jewish,Muslim,Hindu,SikhandBuddhistcommunities.
Milan has been a Christian-majority city since the late Roman Empire.Its religious history was marked by the figure of St. Ambrose, whose heritage includes theAmbrosian Rite(Italian:Rito ambrosiano), used by some five million Catholics in the greater part of theArchdiocese of Milan,which consider the largest in Europe.The Rite varies slightly from the canonicalRoman Riteliturgy, with differences in the mass, liturgical year (Lentstarts four days later than in the Roman Rite), baptism, rite of funerals, priest clothes and sacred music (use of theAmbrosian chantrather than Gregorian).
In addition, the city is home to the largest Orthodox community in Italy. Lombardy is the seat of at least 78 Orthodox parishes and monasteries, the vast majority of them located in the area of Milan.The mainRomanian Orthodoxchurch in Milan is the Catholic church of Our Lady of Victory (Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria), currently granted for use to the local Romanian community.Similarly, the point of reference for the followers of theRussian Orthodox Churchis the Catholic church ofSan Vito in Pasquirolo.
The Jewish community of Milan is the second largest in Italy after Rome, with about 10,000 members, mainlySephardi.The main city synagogue, Hechal David u-Mordechai Temple, was built by architectLuca Beltramiin 1892 and is also the community's main headquarters, is located in Via della Guastalla. The interior was renovated in 1997.
Milan hosts also one of the largest Muslim communities in Italy,and the city saw the construction of the country's first newmosquefeaturing a dome and minaret, since the destruction of the ancient mosques ofLucerain the year 1300. In 2014 the City Council agreed on the construction of a new mosque amid bitter political debate, since it is strenuously opposed by right-wing parties such as theNorthern League.As of 2018, the Muslim population is estimated at 9% of the city's population.
Currently, accurate statistics on the Hindu and Sikh presence in Milan metro area are not available; however, various sources estimate that about 40% of the total Indian population living in Italy, or about 50,000 individuals, reside in Lombardy,where a number of Hindu and Sikh temples exist and where they form the largest such communities in Europe after the ones in Britain.
Whereas Rome is Italy's political and cultural capital, Milan is the country's industrial and financial heart, being the economic capital of Italyand it is a globalfinancial centreas well.
Milan is considered, together withLondon,Hamburg,Frankfurt,MunichandParis, one of the six European economic capitals.
Milan is one of the wealthiest cities in Italy.Milan and Lombardy had anominal GDPof €195 billion ($205 billion) and €480.6 billion ($505 billion), respectively, in 2023, being roughly double the GDP of EU countries such asGreece,HungaryorPortugaland being similar to theIrishorAustrianones.The province of Milan generates approximately 10% of the national GDP; while the economy of theLombardyregion generates approximately19.5% of Italy's GDP(or an estimated €481 billion in 2023,roughly the size of Belgium).
The city is a member of theBlue Bananacorridor and of theFour Motors for Europeamong Europe's economic leaders. Milan'shinterlandis Italy's largest industrial area and its GDP per capita of about €61,200 in 2021 (US$64,300) ranks among Italy's highest.
The province of Milan is home to about 45% of businesses in the Lombardy region and more than 8 percent of all businesses in Italy, including threeFortune 500companies.
According to theEconomist Intelligence Unit, Milan was the 11th-most-expensive city in Europe and the 22nd-most-expensive city in the world in 2019,while according to Swiss bank UBS it was the 7th most expensive city in the world in 2018.One of its main roads,Via Monte Napoleone, is Europe's most expensive street as well as the most-expensive street in the world (2024).
Milan is one of thefashion capitalsof the world, where the sector can count on 12,000 companies, 800 show rooms and 6,000 sales outlets; the city hosts the headquarters of global fashion houses such as Armani,Bottega Veneta,Costume National, Dolce & Gabbana,Dsquared²,Etro,Jil Sander,Loro Piana,Luxottica,Marni,Moncler, Moschino, Prada, Versace,Valentino,TrussardiandZegnaand four weeks a year are dedicated to fashion events.
Since the late 1800s, the area of Milan has been a major industrial and manufacturing centre.Alfa Romeoautomobile company andFalcksteel group employed thousands of workers in the city until the closure of their sites inAresein 2004 andSesto San Giovanniin 1995.
Other global industrial companies, such asEdison,Prysmian Group,Riva Group,Saras,Saipem, Luxottica,Pirelli,UniCreditandTechint, maintain their headquarters and significant employment in the city and its suburbs. Other relevant industries active in metro Milan include chemicals (e.g.Mapei,Versalis,Tamoil Italy), home appliances (e.g.Candy), hospitality (UNA Hotels & Resorts), food & beverages (e.g.Bertolli,Campari), machinery, medical technologies (e.g.Amplifon,Bracco), plastics and textiles. The construction (e.g.Webuild), retail (e.g.Esselunga,La Rinascente) and utilities (e.g.A2A, Edison S.p.A.,Snam,Sorgenia) sectors are also large employers in the Greater Milan. Other major companies based in Milan includeFininvest,TIM GroupandBanco BPM.
The main national insurance companies and banking groups (for a total of 198 companies) and over forty foreign insurance and banking companies are located in the city,as well as a number of asset management companies, includingAnima Holding,Azimut Holding,ARCA SGRandEurizon Capital. TheAssociazione Bancaria Italianarepresenting the Italian banking system, andMilan Stock Exchange(225 companies listed on the stock exchange) are both located in the city. Porta Nuova, the mainbusiness districtof Milan and one of the most important in Europe, hosts the Italian headquarters of numerous global companies, such asAccenture,AXA,Bank of America,BNP Paribas,Celgene,China Construction Bank,Deutsche Bank,FM Global,Herbalife,Amazon,Iliad,KPMG,Maire Tecnimont,Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group,Panasonic,Pirelli,Ubisoft,Shire,Tata Consultancy Services,Telecom Italia, UniCredit andUnipolSai.
Other large multinational service companies, such asAllianz,Generali,Alleanza AssicurazioniandPricewaterhouseCoopers, have their headquarters in the CityLife business district, a new 900-acre-wide (3.6 km) development project designed by prominent modernist architects Zaha Hadid, Daniel Liebskind and Arata Isozaki.
The city is home to numerous media and advertising agencies,national newspapersand telecommunication companies, including both the public service broadcasterRAIand private television companies likeMediasetandSky Italia. In addition, it hosts the headquarters of the largest Italian publishing companies, such asFeltrinelli,Giunti Editore,Messaggerie Italiane[it],Mondadori,RCS Media GroupandRusconi Libri[it]. Milan has also seen a rapid increase in the presence ofITcompanies, with both domestic and international companies such asAltavista, Google,Italtel,Lycos,Microsoft,VirgilioandYahoo!establishing their Italian operations in the city.
The city is also a global hub for event management and trade fairs.Fiera Milanooperates the most important trade fair organiser in Italy and the world's fourth-largestexhibition hall in Rho, were international exhibitions likeMilan Furniture Fair,EICMA,EMOtake place on 400,000 square metres of exhibition areas with more than 4 million visitors in 2018.
Tourism is an increasingly important part of the city's economy: with 8.81 million registered international arrivals in 2018 (up 9.92% on the previous year), Milan ranked as the world's 15th-most-visited city.One source has 56% of international visitors to Milan are from Europe, 44% of the city's tourists are Italian, and 56% are from abroad.The most important European Union markets are the United Kingdom (16%), Germany (9%) and France (6%).Most of the visitors who come from the United States to the city go on business matters, while Chinese and Japanese tourists mainly take up the leisure segment.Milan is one of the international tourism destinations, appearing among the forty most visited cities in the world, ranking second in Italy after Rome, fifth in Europe and sixteenth in the world.
The city boasts several popular tourist attractions, such as the Milan Cathedral and Piazza del Duomo, theTeatro alla Scala, theSan Siro Stadium, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Castello Sforzesco, the Pinacoteca di Brera and theVia Montenapoleone. Most tourists visit sightssuch as Milan Cathedral, the Castello Sforzesco and the Teatro alla Scala; however, other main sights such as theBasilica di Sant'Ambrogio, the Navigli and the Brera district are less visited and prove to be less popular.The city also has numerous hotels, including the ultra-luxuriousTown House Galleria, which is the world's firstseven-starhotel according toSociété Générale de Surveillance(five-star superior luxuryaccording to state law, however) and one ofThe Leading Hotels of the World.
Milan is home to many cultural institutions, museums and art galleries, that account for about a tenth of the national total of visitors and receipts.The Pinacoteca di Brera is one of Milan's most important art galleries. It contains one of the foremost collections of Italian painting, including masterpieces such as theBrera MadonnabyPiero della Francesca. The Castello Sforzesco hosts numerous art collections and exhibitions, especially statues, ancient arms and furnitures, as well as thePinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco, with an art collection includingMichelangelo's last sculpture, theRondanini Pietà,Andrea Mantegna'sTrivulzio Madonnaand Leonardo da Vinci'sCodex Trivulzianusmanuscript. The Castello complex also includesThe Museum of Ancient Art, The Furniture Museum, TheMuseum of Musical Instrumentsand theApplied Arts Collection,The Egyptian and Prehistoric sectionsof theArchaeological Museumand the Achille Bertarelli Print Collection (Civica Raccolta delle Stampe Bertarelli).
Milan's figurative art flourished in theMiddle Ages, and with the Visconti family being major patrons of the arts, the city became an important centre ofGothic artand architecture (Milan Cathedral being the city's most formidable work of Gothic architecture). Leonardo worked in Milan from 1482 until 1499. He was commissioned to paint theVirgin of the Rocksfor the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception andThe Last Supperfor the monastery ofSanta Maria delle Grazie.
The city wasaffected by the Baroquein the 17th and 18th centuries, and hosted numerous formidable artists, architects and painters of that period, such asCaravaggioandFrancesco Hayez, which several important works are hosted in Brera Academy. TheMuseum of Risorgimentois specialised on the history ofItalian unificationIts collections include iconic paintings likeBaldassare Verazzi'sEpisode from the Five Daysand Francesco Hayez's 1840Portraitof EmperorFerdinand I of Austria. TheTriennaleis a design museum and events venue located in Palazzo dell'Arte, inSempione Park. It hosts exhibitions and events highlighting contemporary Italian design, urban planning, architecture, music and media arts, emphasising the relationship between art and industry.
Milan in the 20th century was the epicentre of thefuturistartistic movement.Filippo Marinetti, the founder of Italian Futurism wrote in his 1909 "Manifesto of Futurism" (in Italian,Manifesto Futuristico), that Milan was "grande...tradizionale e futurista" ("grand...traditional and futuristic", in English).Umberto Boccioniwas also an important Futurism artist who worked in the city. Today, Milan remains a major international hub of modern and contemporary art, with numerous modern art galleries. TheModern Art Gallery, situated in the Royal Villa, hosts collections of Italian and European painting from the 18th to the early 20th centuries.TheMuseo del Novecento, situated in thePalazzo dell'Arengario, is one of the most important art galleries in Italy about 20th-century art; of particular relevance are the sections dedicated to Futurism,SpatialismandArte povera. In the early 1990s architectDavid Chipperfieldwas invited to convert the premises of the former Ansaldo Factory into a Museum. Museo delle Culture (MUDEC) opened in April 2015.TheGallerie di Piazza Scala, a modern and contemporary museum located in Piazza della Scala in the Palazzo Brentani and the Palazzo Anguissola, hosts 195 artworks from the collections ofFondazione Cariplowith a strong representation of nineteenth-century Lombard painters and sculptors, includingAntonio Canovaand Umberto Boccioni. A new section was opened in the Palazzo della Banca Commerciale Italiana in 2012. Other private ventures dedicated to contemporary art include the exhibiting spaces of thePrada FoundationandHangarBicocca. TheNicola Trussardi Foundationis renewed for organising temporary exhibition in venues around the city. Milan is also home to many public art projects, with a variety of works that range from sculptures to murals to pieces by internationally renowned artists, includingArman,Kengiro Azuma,Francesco Barzaghi,Alberto Burri,Pietro Cascella,Maurizio Cattelan, Leonardo da Vinci,Giorgio de Chirico,Kris Ruhs,Emilio Isgrò,Fausto Melotti,Joan Miró, Carlo Mo,Claes Oldenburg,Igor Mitoraj, Gianfranco Pardi,Michelangelo Pistoletto,Arnaldo Pomodoro, Carlo Ramous,Aldo Rossi,Aligi Sassu,Giuseppe SpagnuloandDomenico Trentacoste.
Milan is a major national and international centre of the performing arts, most notably opera. The city hosts La Scala operahouse, considered one of the world's most prestigious,having throughout history witnessed thepremieresof numerous operas, such asNabuccobyGiuseppe Verdiin 1842,La GiocondabyAmilcare Ponchielli,Madama ButterflybyGiacomo Pucciniin 1904,Turandotby Puccini in 1926, and more recentlyTeneke, byFabio Vacchiin 2007. Other major theatres in Milan include theTeatro degli Arcimboldi,Teatro Dal Verme,Teatro Liricoand formerly theTeatro Regio Ducale. The city is also the seat of a renownedsymphony orchestraandmusical conservatory, and has been, throughout history, a major centre for musical composition: numerous famous composers and musicians such asGioseppe Caimo,Simon Boyleau,Hoste da Reggio, Verdi,Giulio Gatti-Casazza,Paolo ChericiandAlice Edunlived and worked in Milan. The city is also the birthplace of many modern ensembles and bands, includingI Camaleonti,Camerata Mediolanense,Gli Spioni,Dynamis Ensemble,Elio e le Storie Tese,Krisma,Premiata Forneria Marconi,Quartetto Cetra,Stormy Six,Le VibrazioniandLacuna Coil.
Milan is widely regarded as a global capital in industrial design, fashion and architecture.In the 1950s and 60s, as the main industrial centre of Italy and one of Europe's most dynamic cities, Milan became a world capital of design and architecture. There was such a revolutionary change that Milan's fashion exports accounted forUS$726 million in 1952, and by 1955 that number grew toUS$72.5 billion.Modern skyscrapers, such as the Pirelli Tower and the Torre Velasca were built, and artists such asBruno Munari,Lucio Fontana,Enrico CastellaniandPiero Manzonigathered in the city.Today, Milan is still particularly well known for its high-quality furniture and interior design industry. The city is home to FieraMilano, Europe's largest permanent trade exhibition, and Salone Internazionale del Mobile, one of the most prestigious international furniture and design fairs.
Milan is also regarded as one of the fashion capitals of the world, along withNew York City,ParisandLondon.Milan is synonymous with the Italian prêt-à-porter industry,as many of the most famousItalian fashionbrands, such asValentino, Versace, Prada, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, are headquartered in the city. Numerous international fashion labels also operate shops in Milan. Furthermore, the city hosts theMilan Fashion Weektwice a year, one of the most important events in the international fashion system.Milan's main upscale fashion district,quadrilatero della moda, is home to the city's most prestigious shopping streets (Via Monte Napoleone,Via della Spiga,Via Sant'Andrea,Via ManzoniandCorso Venezia), in addition to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the world's oldest shopping malls.The termsciuraencapsulates the look and culture of fashionable, elderly Milanese women.
In the late 18th century and throughout the 19th, Milan was an important centre for intellectual discussion and literary creativity. TheEnlightenmentfound here a fertile ground.Cesare, Marquis of Beccaria, with his famousDei delitti e delle pene, and CountPietro Verri, with the periodicalIl Caffèwere able to exert a considerable influence over the newmiddle-classculture.
In the first years of the 19th century, the ideals of theRomantic movementmade their impact on the cultural life of the city and its major writers debated the primacy of Classical versusRomantic poetry. Additionally,Giuseppe PariniandUgo Foscolopublished their most important works, and were admired by younger poets as masters of ethics, as well as of literary craftsmanship.
In the third decade of the 19th century,Alessandro Manzoniwrote his novelI Promessi Sposi, considered the manifesto of Italian Romanticism, which found in Milan its centre; in the same periodCarlo Porta, reputed the most renowned local vernacular poet, wrote his poems inLombard Language. The periodicalIl Conciliatorepublished articles bySilvio Pellico,Giovanni Berchet,Ludovico di Breme, who were both Romantic in poetry and patriotic in politics.
After the Unification of Italy in 1861, Milan retained a sort of central position in cultural debates. New ideas and movements from other countries of Europe were accepted and discussed: thusRealismandNaturalismgave birth to prewar Italian movement ofVerismoin Southern Italy, its greatestVeristanovelistGiovanni Vergaformed in Sicily who wrote his most important books in Milan.
In addition to Italian, approximately 2 million people in Northern Italy can speak theMilanese dialector otherWestern Lombardvariation.
Milan is an important national and international media centre.Corriere della Sera, founded in 1876, is one of the oldest Italian newspapers, and it is published byRizzoli, as well asLa Gazzetta dello Sport, a daily dedicated to coverage of various sports and currently considered the most widely read daily newspaper in Italy. Other local dailies are the general broadsheetsIl Giorno,Il Giornale, the Catholic newspaperAvvenire, andIl Sole 24 Ore, a daily business newspaper owned byConfindustria(the Italian employers' federation). Free daily newspapers includeLeggoandMetro. Milan is also home to many architecture, art and fashion periodicals, includingAbitare,Casabella,Domus,Flash Art,Gioia,GraziaandVogue Italia.PanoramaandOggi, two of Italy's most important weekly news magazines, are also published in Milan.
Several commercial broadcast television networks have their national headquarters in the Milan conurbation, including Mediaset Group (owner ofCanale 5,Italia 1,IrisandRete 4),TelelombardiaandMTV Italy. National radio stations based in Milan includeRadio Deejay,Radio 105 Network,R101 (Italy),Radio Popolare,RTL 102.5,Radio CapitalandVirgin Radio Italia.
Like most cities in Italy, Milan has developed its own local culinary tradition, which, as it is typical for North Italian cuisines, uses more frequently rice than pasta, butter thanvegetable oiland features almost no tomato orfish. Milanese traditional dishes includescotoletta alla milanese, a breaded veal (pork and turkey can be used) cutlet pan-fried in butter (similar to VienneseWiener Schnitzel). Other typical dishes arecassoeula(stewed pork rib chops and sausage withSavoy cabbage),ossobuco(braisedvealshank served with a condiment calledgremolata),risotto alla milanese(withsaffronand beef marrow),busecca(stewedtripewith beans),mondeghili(meatballsmade with leftover meat fried in butter) andbrasato(stewed beef or pork with wine and potatoes).
Season-related pastries includechiacchiere(flat fritters dusted with sugar) andtortelli(fried spherical cookies) forCarnival,colomba(glazed cake shaped as a dove) for Easter,pane dei morti("bread of the (Day of the) Dead", cookies flavoured withcinnamon) forAll Souls' Dayandpanettonefor Christmas. Thesalame Milano, asalamiwith a very fine grain, is widespread throughout Italy. Renowned Milanese cheeses aregorgonzola(from thenamesakevillage nearby),mascarpone, used in pastry-making,taleggioand quartirolo.
ThecomuneofSan Colombano al Lambro, located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) south-east of Milan, is home to theDenominazione di origine controllata(DOC) wine which includes 100 hectares (250 acres) producing a single red wine. The finished wine must attain a minimumalcohol levelof 11% to belabelledwith the San Colombano DOC designation.
Milan is well known for its world-class restaurants and cafés, characterised by innovative cuisine and design.As of 2014, Milan has 157 Michelin-selected places, including three 2-Michelin-starred restaurants;these includeCracco, Sadler and il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia.Many historical restaurants and bars are found in the historic centre, the Brera and Navigli districts. Milan is home to the oldest restaurant in Italy and the second in Europe, theAntica trattoria Bagutto[it], which has existed since at least 1284.One of the city's oldest surviving cafés,Caffè Cova, was established in 1817.In total, Milan has 15 cafés, bars and restaurants registered among the Historical Places of Italy, continuously operating for at least 70 years.
Milan hosted matches at theFIFA World Cupin1934and1990and theUEFA European Championshipin1980, and more recently held the2003 World Rowing Championships, the2009 World Boxing Championships, and some games of theMen's Volleyball World Championshipin2010and the final games of theWomen's Volleyball World Championshipin2014. In 2018, Milan hosted theWorld Figure Skating Championships. Milan will host the2026 Winter Olympicsas well as the2026 Winter Paralympicsjointly withCortina d'Ampezzo.
Milan, along withManchester, is one of only two cities in Europe that is home to twoEuropean Cup/Champions Leaguewinning teams:Serie Afootball clubsAC MilanandInter. They are two of the most successful clubs in the world of football in terms of international trophies. Both teams have also won theFIFA Club World Cup(formerly theIntercontinental Cup). With a combined ten Champions League titles, Milan is only second to Madrid as the city with the most European Cups. Both teams play at theUEFA5-star-rated Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, more commonly known as theSan Siro, that is one of the biggest stadiums in Europe, with aseating capacityof over 80,000.The Meazza Stadium has hosted fourEuropean Cup/Champions League finals, most recently in2016, whenReal MadriddefeatedAtlético Madrid5–3 in apenalty shoot-out. A third team,Brera Calcio, plays inPrima Categoria, the seventh tier of Italian football.Another team,Milano City FC(a successor of Bustese Calcio),plays inSerie D, the fourth level.
Milan is one of the host cities of theEuroBasket 2022. There are currently four professionalLega Basketclubs in Milan:Olimpia Milano, Pallacanestro Milano 1958, Società Canottieri Milano and A.S.S.I. Milano. Olimpia is the most decorated basketball club in Italy, having won 27Italian Leaguechampionships, sixItalian National Cups, oneItalian Super Cup, threeEuropean Champions Cups, oneFIBA Intercontinental Cup, threeFIBA Saporta Cups, twoFIBA Korać Cupsand many junior titles. The team play at theMediolanum Forum, with a capacity of 12,700, where it has been hosted the final of the2013–14 Euroleague. In some cases the team also plays at thePalaDesio, with a capacity of 6,700.
Milan is also home to Italy's oldest American football team:Rhinos Milano, who have won five Italian Super Bowls. The team plays at theVelodromo Vigorelli, with a capacity of 8,000. AnotherAmerican footballteam that use the same venue is theSeamen Milano, who joined the professionalEuropean League of Footballin 2023. Milan also has two cricket teams: Milano Fiori, currently competing in the second division, and Kingsgrove Milan, who won the Serie A championship in 2014.Amatori Rugby Milano, the most decorated rugby team in Italy, was founded in Milan in 1927. TheMonza Circuit, located near Milan, hosts the Formula OneItalian Grand Prix.The circuit is located inside theRoyal Villa of Monzapark. It is one of the world's oldestcar racingcircuits. The capacity for theFormula Oneraces is currently over 113,000. It has hosted a Formula One race nearly every year since the first year of competition, with the exception of 1980.
Inroad cycling, Milan hosts the start of the annualMilan–San Remoclassicone-day race and the annualMilano–Torinoone day race. Milan is also the traditional finish for the final stage of theGiro d'Italia, which, along with theTour de Franceand theVuelta a España, is one of cycling's threeGrand Tours.
Milan is a major global centre of higher education teaching and research and has the second-largest concentration of higher education institutes in Italy after Rome. Milan's higher education system includes 7 universities, 48 faculties and 142 departments, with 185,000 university students enrolled in 2011 (approximately 11 percent of the national total)and the largest number of university graduates and postgraduate students (34,000 and more than 5,000, respectively) in Italy.
TheUniversity of Milan(also known as the "State University") founded in 1924,is the largest public teaching and research university in the city.The University of Milan is the sixth-largest university in Italy, with approximately 60,000 enrolled students and a teaching staff of 2,500.Most relevant academics are in the fields of medicine, law and politics andsustainability. Notable alumni such as former Italian Prime MinisterSilvio BerlusconiandNobellaureates earned their degree at University of Milan.
University of Milano-Bicocca, established in 1998 is the city's newest institution of higher education in science and technology. Built over a once industrial area, today enrolls more than 30,000 students, of which more than 60% are female.As its older parent institute, it is one of the most sought-after location for medical students.It ranks as the 82nd-best young college on over 300 institutions in the 2020Times Higher EducationWorld University Rankings.
ThePolytechnic University of Milanis the city's oldest university, founded in 1863. With over 40,000 students, it is the largesttechnicaluniversity in Italy.According to theQS World University Rankingsfor the subject area 'Engineering & Technology', it ranked in 2022 as the 13th best in the world.It ranked 6th worldwide for Design, 9th for Civil and Structural Engineering, 9th for Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering and 7th for Architecture.It is the best university in Italy.
Catholic University of the Sacred Heartis the largest private teaching university in Europeand the largestCatholic Universityin the world with 42,000 enrolled students.Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinicserves as theteaching hospitalfor the medical school of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and owes its name to the university founder, theFranciscanfriar, physician and psychologistAgostino Gemelli.
Bocconi Universityis a private management and finance university established in 1902, ranking as the best university in Italy in its fields, and as one of the best in the world. In 2020, QS World University Rankings ranked the university seventh worldwide and third in Europe in business and management studies,as well as first in economics andeconometricsoutside the US and the UK.Financial Timesranked it the sixth-best business school in Europe in 2018.Bocconi University also ranks as the fifth-best one-year MBA course in the world, according to theForbes2017 ranking.
Vita-Salute San Raffaele Universityis a private teaching medical university linked to theSan Raffaele Hospital.
University Institute of Languages and Communication(also known as "University IULM") is a private teaching university established in 1968, later renamed from its original name "University Institute of Languages of Milan", becoming first Italian university offering courses onpublic relations; later it became a point of reference also forbusiness communication; media and advertising; translation and interpreting; communication in culture and arts markets, tourism and fashion.
Milan is also well known for its fine arts and music schools. The Milan Academy of Fine Arts (Brera Academy) is a publicacademic institutionfounded in 1776 by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria; theNew Academy of Fine Artsis the largest private art and design university in Italy;theEuropean Institute of Designis a private university specialised in fashion, industrial and interior design, audio/visual design including photography, advertising and marketing and business communication; theMarangoni Institute, is a fashion institute with campuses in Milan, London and Paris; theDomus Academyis a private postgraduate institution of design, fashion, architecture, interior design and management; the Pontifical Ambrosian Institute of Sacred Music, a college of music founded in 1931 by the blessed cardinal A.I. Schuster, archbishop of Milan, and raised according to the rules by the Holy See in 1940, is—similarly to the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome, which is consociated with—an Institute "ad instar facultatis" and is authorised to confer university qualifications with canonical validityand the Milan Conservatory, a college of music established in 1807, currently Italy's largest with more than 1,700 students and 240 music teachers.
Milan is one of the key transport nodes of Italy and southern Europe. Itscentral railway stationis Italy's second, afterRome Termini railway station, and Europe's eighth busiest.TheMalpensa,LinateandOrio al Serioairports serve the Greater Milan, the largest metropolitan area in Italy.
Azienda Trasporti Milanesi(ATM) is the Milanese municipal transport company; it operates 5metrolines, 18 tram lines, 131 bus lines, 4trolleybuslines and 1people moverline, carrying about 776 million passengers in 2018.Overall the network covers nearly 1,500 km (932 mi) reaching 46 municipalities.Besides public transport, ATM manages the interchangeparking lotsand other transport services includingbike sharingandcarsharingsystems.
TheMilan Metrois therapid transitsystem serving the city and surrounding municipalities. The network consists of 5 lines (M1,M2,M3,M4andM5), with a total network length of 112 kilometres (70 mi), and a total of125 stations, mostly underground.It has a daily ridership of 1.15 million,the largest in Italy as well as one of the largest in Europe.
The architectural project of the Milan Metro, created byFranco AlbiniandFranca Helg, and the signs, designed byBob Noorda, received theCompasso d'Oroaward in 1964.Within the European Union it is the seventh-largest network in terms of kilometres.
As of May 2023, theMilan suburban railway service, operated byTrenord, comprises 11S linesconnecting the metropolitan area with the city centre, with possible transfers to all the metro lines. Most S lines run through theMilan Passerby Railway, commonly referred to as "il Passante" and served by double-decker trains every 4/8 minutes in the central underground section.
Milan Central station, with 110 million passengers per year, is the largest andeighth-busiest railway station in Europeand the second busiest in Italy afterRoma Termini.Milano Centrale railway station is the largest railway station in Europe by volume.Milano CadornaandMilano Porta Garibaldistations are, respectively, the seventh- and the eleventh-busiest stations in Italy.
Since the end of 2009, twohigh-speed trainlines link Milan to Rome,NaplesandTurin, considerably shortening travel times with other major cities in Italy. Further high-speed lines are under construction towards Genoa and Verona. Milan is served by direct international trains to Nice, Marseille, Lyon, Paris, Lugano, Geneva, Bern, Basel, Zurich and Frankfurt, and by overnight sleeper services to Munich and Vienna (ÖBB).Since 2011Trenord, has operated both Trenitalia and LeNord regional trains in Lombardy, carrying over 750,000 passengers on more than 50 routes every day.
TrenitaliaandS.N.C.F.provide overnight services toParis, stopping atLyonandTurin.
Thecity tram networkconsists of approximately 160 kilometres (99 mi) of track and 18 lines, and is Europe's most advanced light rail system.Bus lines cover over 1,070 km (665 mi). Milan also hastaxiservices operated by private companies and licensed by the City Council of Milan. The city is also a key node for the national road network, being served by all the major highways of Northern Italy. Numerous long-distance bus lines link Milan with many other cities and towns in Lombardy and throughout Italy.
In the surroundings of Milan there are three airports dedicated to normal civilian traffic (Milan Malpensa Airport and Milan Linate Airport, managed by SEA, and Milan Bergamo Airport by SACBO).
Overall, the Milan airport system handles traffic of over 51.4 million passengers and around 700,000 tons of goods every year and is the first in Italy in terms of passenger volume and cargo volume (the second Italian airport system is Rome with 44.4 million passengers in 2023).The Milan Malpensa airport, with over 700 thousand tons, confirms the national leadership, processing 70% of the country's air cargo.
Lastly,Bresso Airfieldis ageneral aviationairport, operated by Aero Club Milano.Since 1960 the airport mostly serves as a general aviation airfield for flying club activity, touristic flights and air taxi.It also hosts a base of the state helicopter emergency serviceElisoccorso.
The bicycle is becoming an increasingly important mode of transportation in Milan. Since 2008, the implementation of a city-wide network of bike paths has been initiated, to fight congestion and air pollution. During the COVID pandemic in 2019, 35 km of bike lanes were realized on short notice, to relieve pressure on the subway occupation.
Thebike sharingsystem BikeMi has been deployed in almost all the city and enjoys increasing popularity. Stationless commercial bike and scooter sharing systems are widely available.
Milan istwinnedwith:
The partnership with Saint Petersburg was suspended in 2012 (a decision taken by the city of Milan), because of the prohibition of the Russian government on "homosexual propaganda".However, it was later restored and as of 2022, St. Petersburg is still listed on Milan's official list of twin towns.
People awarded thehonorary citizenshipof Milan are: