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Milan is in that part of Italy no one seems to want to visit. The northwest. Well, actually, anywhere west of Venice. They do not know what they are missing.
Occasionally, an American finds Milan by mistake, booking a tour from a cruise ship docked in Genoa. But with the two-hour drive each way, it doesn’t leave much time for seeing all that Milan has to offer.
The 2006 Winter Olympics in nearby Turin (Torino) brought the world to N.W. Italy, but since then, it seems hard to find Americans when I visit this area. Maybe I should be happy that no one comes here to browse. It leaves more of the city for me. But there is so much to see; it seems greedy not to share it with you.
Ancient Milan
Milan is an ancient city dating from 400 B.C. when the Celtic Insubres arrive.
Next come the Romans circa 222 B.C. and the remodel and call the town Mediolanum.
By 286 A.D., the Roman Empire is growing too large to govern from one capital.
Diocletian divides the Empire making Maximian emperor of the Western Empire and ruling from Milan. Diocletian will rule the Eastern Empire from Nicomedia, now under the Turkish city of Izmit, east of Istanbul.
Not So Ancient
Circa 313 A.D., Emperor Constantine I (west), and Emperor Licinius (east) meet in Milan. Here, they sign the Edict of Milan, an agreement to accept and treat Christians with kindness within the Roman Empire. This law gives Christianity legal status and protects Christians from persecution.
It does not make Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire. That will not happen until 380 A.D. in the Greek city of Thessaloniki.
By 324 A.D., Constantine is over sharing control with Licinius. He takes him prisoner and later murders him. Constantine unifies the Empire, rebuilds the city of Byzantium (later Constantinople, and today Istanbul,) and makes it the capital.
Although Milan is still a quasi-capital, the Romans cannot rule it from Istanbul, and it begins to crumble. By 402 A.D., the Visigoths are knocking the city walls down, and the Romans move the imperial residence to Ravenna.
With the Romans gone, Milan is up for grabs to whoever has the largest army.
Sack It To Me
Attila, King of the Huns, visits 452 A.D. and devastates the city.
During the Gothic War, circa 539, the Ostrogoths destroy Milan.
Circa 569, a Germanic tribe from the north, the Lombards, take up residence. They repurpose a few Roman structures, but not many.
The Italian region Lombardy will derive its name from these invaders.
774, Milan surrenders to Charlemagne, king of the Franks, who claims himself, King of the Lombards.
However, the king does not do much for the Lombardy region, and Milan’s finances dwindle. Soon the once Imperial capital is nothing more than a county seat.
The Middle Ages
Much of Milan’s middle ages consists of a political struggle between two political factions. The Guelphs, supporting the Pope, and the Ghibellines, supporting the Holy Roman Empire. The feud began in Germany circa 1125. By 1160, it spreads to Italy, including nearby Tuscany.
This feuding will go on, back and forth, until the Visconti family (Ghibellines) seizes power circa 1395.
Their support of the Emperor pays off. Emperor Wenceslas (not the one who looks out at snow) makes Milan a duchy, raising the dignity of the citizens.
Circa 1346, ships returning to Genoa (90 miles south of Milan) bring with them the Black (Plague) Death. Once ashore, it spread via fleas (the kind that like people) quickly. By the end of the plague, it claims 40-50% of Europe’s population.
With a much smaller population, there is now enough food and work for everyone. Welcome to the Renaissance.
Golden Ambrosian Republic
Circa 1447, duke Filippo Maria Visconti dies without a male heir. A group posing as members of the University of Pavia rises up attempting to seize Milan during the power shuffle. This shuffle becomes the Milanese War of Succession. Every party has a candidate who is the legal next in line.
With the financing of Francesco Sforza, the husband of Visconti’s illegitimate daughter, the Golden Ambrosian Republic grows in strength.
Next, Sforza turns the Republic against the Republic of Venice, already at war with Milan. This action pulls the support of smaller cities against Venice, including Pavia, Lodi, and Piacenza. Circa 1450, the Republic is so strong Sforza seizes Milan and abolishes the Republic.
The House of Sforza.
The House of Sforza (sf rtza) attacks, schemes, and marries themselves into vast holdings in and around Milan.
Circa 1499, during the Italian Wars, the army of the French king captures Milan from Ludovico Sforza. The fourth son of Francesco, he is only in power for five years. During this time, he becomes a patron of Leonardo da Vinci.
Sixteen years later, Imperial troops from Germany retake Milan, placing Maximilian Sforza, Ludovico’s oldest son, as Duke of Milan.
Unfortunately, three years later (1515), the French return and imprison him.
Circa 1521, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (of the newly rising Hapsburgs), drives out the French. He names Maximilian’s younger brother, Francesco Sforza, as Duke.
When Francisco passes in 1535 without an heir, the Duchy goes to Charles V. He names his son, Philip I, as the Duke of Milan.
Spanish Rule
Philip I is the son of the Emperor, who is also the Spanish king, Charles V and Isabella of Portugal.
Philip, I will also hold the titles King of Spain, King of Portugal, King of Naples and Sicily. Although Queen Mary I is in charge, he is King of England and Ireland during their short four-year marriage. He will also be lord over the Netherlands.
Unfortunately, he is a devout Catholic, and that means he supports the inquisition.
Circa 1556, and the Italian war over, Philip sets up the Council of Italy to keep an eye on Milan, Naples, and Sicily. During this time, the Pope and Philip’s interests in Europe converge, leading to a temporary peace.
1629 and Bubonic Plague is back. The Great Plague of Milan decimates northern and central Italy, reducing Milan’s population by almost half. (60,000 dead).
Philip I’s descendants will remain in power until 1700 and the death of Charles II, with no male heir.
His closest heir was 16-year-old Philip of Anjou, grandson of Charles’s elder half-sister, Maria Theresa.
France and other European countries are tired of the Spanish rule and contest this. And we have the War of the Spanish Succession.
A New Owner for Milan.
By 1714, Spain gives up. France and Spain will remain as separate countries. Austria (Hapsburg) receives Hungary, most of the Spanish Netherlands, and Spain’s holdings in Italy, including Lombardy.
They will remain in control until the Frenchman Napoleon comes knocking in 1796.
He declares Milan as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. This title lasts as long as Napoleon’s rule, 1815.
The Congress of Vienna returns Lombardy to Austrian control.
The Milanese, fed up with Austrian rule, begin a revolt by 1848.
The Kingdom of Sardinia falls in with Lombardy, who then votes to unify with Sardinia.
Unfortunately, the combined forces are not able to defeat the Austrians.
However, an 1859 attack, this time by the Italian nationalists, with support from Sardinia and France, is successful.
By 1861, the Kingdom of Sardinia unifies several Italian city-states and kingdoms into the Kingdom of Italy.
Milan becomes the dominant commercial center for northern Italy.
Milan in the 1900s
With the beginning of WWI, we need to draw the Italian border. Specifically, in northeastern Italy, where Trieste, southern Tyrol, and northern Dalmatia were still part of Austria.
That puts the Italian Front Line fifty miles north of Verona and only about 100 miles east of Venice.
The Treaty of London will give these regions to Italy and give France, Russia, and British troops access to Italy’s border with Austria. 1915, Italy enters the war.
After WWI, Italy receives much of southern Tyrol and Trieste, but not the Dalmatian coast. Finally, the country of Italy, as we know it today, is whole.
Benito Mussolini, not happy with the outcome of the war, and fed up with Socialism, forms the Squadrismo. This private militia will use violence to eliminate any political parties opposing Italian Fascism systematically.
He rallies his Blackshirts for the first time in Milan and will begin their March on Rome from here.
By October 1922, King Victor Emmanuel III hands Italy to Mussolini to set up his fascist government.
WWII and Milan.
World War II has many more planes than the first World War. The Alps are not as great of defense anymore. Due to its location and network with northern Italy, Milan is a target of many Allied bombings.
The public opinion of Mussolini begins to turn from the beginning of the war.
By early 1943, significant factories in Milan and Torino are halting production and securing evacuation allowances for their workers. Labor strikes are slowing down all production in Italy.
By July, the Allies are bombing Rome, and King Emmanuel arrests Mussolini. In September, the Germans rescue him and set him up in Gargnano, on Lake Garda east of Milan. But he has no power.
A month later, Italy attempts to switch sides. German forces, already in Italy, quickly occupy northern Italy until the end of the war.
Italian resistance in Milan will play a vital part in the war effort until the end.
By the end of April 1945, the Allies are liberating Torino and Milan.
The resistance captures Mussolini, his mistress, and members of his Fascist government, in Giulino, north of Como. They are attempting to flee to Switzerland, where they can get a plane to Spain.
By accident, the resistance shoots the entire party repeatedly. They take the bodies to Milan. In the Piazzale Loreto (now Piazza Quindici Martiri), they hang the bodies upside down where people can throw stones at them.
Milan Today
Since the end of World War II, Italy has been experiencing an economic boom.
By the end of the 1960s, the population of Milan is at 1.7 million people. Many of these people are looking for work in the industries quickly rebuilt after the war.
By the early 1970s, the city is suffering from growing pains. Labor strikes, street violence, and political terrorism is crippling the town.
During the 1980s, Milan finally begins to diversify and build different industries. Milan became one of the world’s fashion capitals.
What is in Milan for me?
See & Hear.
For history buffs, you have Dukes, leading families, and emperors. You have kingdoms and royal houses.
Surprisingly, you do not have numerous remains from the Roman days, at least above ground.
However, the medieval and Renaissance sites more than make up for the lack of Roman sites.
Something you should see (and feel) is Leonardo Da Vinci’s fresco on the wall at the church Santa Maria delle Grazie. Measuring 15 feet high and over 29 feet wide, his depiction of “The Last Supper” will move even the most cynical.
Another option is to sit in a piazza. Listen to a bubbling fountain while watching life happening all around you.
Taste & Smell.
Experience Italian food with the Milanaise twist. Milan is the region for Ossobuco, Saltimbocca, Chicken Milanese, and Risotto Milanese, infused with saffron.
With Piedmont to the west and the Emilia-Romagna region to the east, the local cuisine can hold its own against either one of these culinary powerhouses.
Equally important are the local wines, the exploding artesian beer market, and Italian spirits. It was in a suburb of Milan, where Italy’s first Gastropub began.
Feel.
Sitting with a glass of wine on a rooftop terrace overlooking Milan’s Gothic, Neoclassical, Gothic Revival, and Italian Gothic cathedral. (That’s what happens when you take 600 years to finish something.)
The sun streams through the pinnacles, spires, and flying buttresses. The statues are in silhouette.
There may be better ways to rest your feet after an afternoon of exploring, but this one doesn’t suck.
(BACK TO TOP)
Should-See Sites.
Centro Storico area
Piazza del Duomo. – Starting in the center of town is the cobblestone main square containing several sites to see.
Duomo di Milano. – At the east end of the piazza is the largest cathedral in Italy (the Vatican is an independent country.) The inside is a wealth of architectural styles. For an additional fee, elevators access the rooftop for an up-close look at the detailed architecture and views over the city.
Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace of Milan). – Also fronting onto the Piazza del Duomo (S.E.) is the once royal palace of Milan. Today, it is a cultural center, and one wing contains the Museum of the Duomo.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. – On the north side of the piazza, across from the palace, is Milan’s oldest, still operating mall. Dating from 1877, it is also Italy’s most senior shopping center.
Just Off the Piazza
Palazzo della Ragione. – At the west end of the piazza (to the right of the golden arches) is this 13th-century medieval palace. The front facade has astrological frescoes and the inside houses exhibitions.
Piazza dei Mercanti. – Located behind the palazzo is a charming medieval public square. Take a look for outdoor markets or concerts.
Biblioteca Ambrosiana. – A five-minute walk west of the Piazza del Duomo is this public library dating from 1609, making it one of the first in Europe. It also houses the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, the Ambrosian art gallery.
Piazza della Scala.
Starting in the Piazza del Duomo, walk straight through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II to reach Piazza della Scala.
Statua di Leonardo da Vinci. – In the center of the piazza is a monument to Leonardo da Vinci from 1872. Leonardo was working in Milan for the Duke, Ludovico Sforza, from 1482 until 1499.
He would return on and off from 1506 until 1513, leaving masterpieces of art and technology.
Palazzo Marino (Milan City Hall). – Is on your right as you enter the piazza from the Galleria. The Mannerist style palace dates from the 16th century. It has been the city hall since 1861.
Galleries d Italia Art Museum. – This museum takes up three buildings, the former Banca Commerciale Italiana (bank) and two palaces. The structures alone are incredible to view. The collections inside contain some of the best Italian artists from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Teatro alla Scala. – One of the world’s most famous opera houses sits opposite the City Hall. It remains one of Milan’s most cherished treasures.
The current building dates from 1778, although WWII leads to the rebuilding of many sections of the structure.
Opera Season
The opera season opens on December 7. Several operas have had their world premiers here including, Norma, Otello, Falstaff, and Turandot. It has hosted all the great opera singers and was the artistic home of Maria Callas during much of the 1950s.
Famous directors have included Franco Zeffirelli and Luchino Visconti, and the most renowned conductor must be Arturo Toscanini.
Outside of the opera season, there are various performances throughout the year so that you can experience “La Scala.” The small museum is worth seeing for opera lovers and often includes visiting the theater if a rehearsal is not in progress.
Quadrilatero della Moda, (Quad d’Oro.)
The motherland of Italian fashion is Quad d’Oro. Although many famous brands have bases in Florence and Rome, Milan’s fashion district reads like a whos-who of design.
Via Monte Napoleone, the “5th Avenue” of Milan, is less than 10 minutes walk from La Scala along Via Alessandro Manzoni. Milan is often considered one of the “big four” fashion capitals, along with New York, Paris, and London.
Fashion houses, designers, and luxury brands currently headquartered in Milan include Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Missoni, Prada, Valentino, Versace, and Zegna, to name only a few. There’s even an Armani Hotel. Window shopping is free, but going inside many stores require reservations to enter.
Bagatti Valsecchi. – The Bagatti Valsecchi Museum is a historic house made into a museum. The founding brothers desired to restore the home and furnish it with items from the fifteenth and sixteenth century.
Furnishings include paintings, tapestries; furniture; ceramics; jewelry, and domestic utensils. Each is in the room you would have found it in during the 1500s. Small concerts are given from time to time. Check the website for upcoming ones.
Indro Montanelli Park.
Another 10-minute walk along Via Alessandro Manzoni from the Quad d’Oro is what I call museum park. Either in or across from this park are enough museums to fill a day.
Villa Reale – A masterpiece of Milanese Neoclassicism, the villa, dating from 1796, was a private residence of Count Lodovico Barbiano di Belgiojoso. It, like much of Italy, passed into the hands of the Bonaparte Family during their “stay” in Italy.
Today it is the Galleria D’Arte Moderna (GAM). It houses the city’s most extensive municipal modern art collection with works by leading 19th-century Italian artists. Smaller galleries on the upper floors include Cézanne, Gauguin, Manet, Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, and Van Gogh.
The English gardens behind the villa are worth a stroll to relax.
Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano. – In a building dating from 1888, this natural history museum includes sections devoted to Mineralogy, Paleontology, Natural history of man, Invertebrate, and Zoology.
It is home to over 100 full-size dioramas, Italy’s most extensive collection.
Palazzo Dugnani. – At the other end of the park from the Museo is this grand Italian Baroque palace from the 17th-century. It contains frescoes and a public garden.
The elegant building was for years the central hub of the city. Today it serves as an exhibition hall.
Via Dante.
This pedestrian avenue is where Milan goes to walk. The street stretches from the Piazza Cordusio on the west end to the Largo Benedetto Cairoli on the east end.
Piazza Cordusio. – All roads at the west end of the Piazza del Duomo lead to this commercial square. The statue in the middle is of Giuseppe Parini. He was a satirist and poet living in Mian during the Age of Enlightenment (the 1700s.)
- Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali. – This palace is the largest in the square and has a small tower with a dome. The Neo-Renaissance style building, dating from 1871, is one of the very few buildings in the center of the city built for a business instead of a family. That business, General Insurance Company, still occupies the building
- Palazzo del Credito Italiano – The two buildings to the left of Generali date from 1901 and begin as a local bank. It is still home to financial companies.
- Palazzo delle Poste. – One building to the right of Generali is a building dating from 1901 by the same architect who did the bank building. Initially, it was the home of the Stock Exchange. When the exchange moved, it became a post office, hence the “Poste” inscription on its facade. In the late summer of 2018, it became the location of the first Starbucks coffee roastery in Europe. Something I think Italy needs as much as Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.
East End
Largo Benedetto Cairoli – This roundabout lies at the east end of the pedestrian avenue and is the gateway to Parco Sempione.
The monument in the middle is of Giuseppe Garibaldi, a general who was a significant figure in the unification of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel II.
Parco Sempione.
This large city park, dating from 1888, covers just under 100 acres. It is in the historic center of the city, and home to several sites you should see.
Sforza Castle. – This enormous structure, dating from the 15th century, was the home for the Duke of Milan, Francesco Sforza. Building upon a previous fo dating from the 1300s for the Visconti clan. The castle incorporated the city walls on one side.
Today, it is home to nine different museums. Get one ticket good for all the castle museums. Some of the museums are:
- The Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco, an Italian art collection dating from 1500 – 1800s.
- The Museum of Ancient Art includes weapons, tapestries, and funerary monuments.
- The Museum of Musical Instruments. Housing more than 700 musical instruments, some dating to the fifteenth century.
- The Achille Bertarelli Print Collection. More than 300,000 examples of print work, including maps, posters, business cards, and drawings.
- The Museum of Rondanini Pietà. – A small museum with an emphasis on Michelangelo’s last sculpture, the Rondanini Pietà.
- The Archaeological Museum of Milan’s Egyptian Museum.
- The Archaeological Museum of Milan’s Prehistoric collections.
Inside the castle is the Trivulziana Library, where Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Codex Trivulzianus’ manuscript is under lock and key.
Outside the Palace.
Palazzina Appiani. (Arena Civica Gianni Brera) – This arena was built in 1805 for public spectacles, under the orders of Napoleon. It follows the model of the ancient Roman circuses. Today it is used for sporting events and concerts. Tours are available.
Arco della Pace. (Porta Sempione) – Another gift from Napoleon is this triumphal arch, marking the road from Milan to Paris. Flanking it are two administrative buildings, one is to collect tolls.
Torre Branca. – This iron panoramic tower is over 350 feet high. On a clear day, you can see to the Alps or the Apennines. Opening to guests in 1933, for the Fascist architecture and industrial design exhibition, with the name “Torre Littoria.”(Tower of the Fasces.)
After the war, they rename it “Torre del Parco.” In 2002, after years of neglect and being closed, the Branca liquor company paid to have it restored and with that, naming rights.
La Triennale di Milano. – In the shadow of the Torre is this museum with design-related exhibits on themes, including design and art.
Pinacoteca di Brera. – Not in the Parco Sempione, but a 10-minute walk east of the park, is this building from the 1600s. When Empress Maria Theresa of Austria disbanded the Jesuits in 1773, she took this building and filled it with artwork seized from other churches, to create a learning collection for young artists.
Today, it is Milan’s most extensive collection of predominantly Italian religious art. There is a botanical garden behind the palace. (It is also a 10-minute walk from Teatro alla Scala.)
Beyond the Park.
To the west of Parco Sempione, there are sites you should not miss. If you are in the Duomo area, you may wish to use the metro or a taxi as it is a 30-minute walk from the center to some of these sites.
Santa Maria delle Grazie. – The church may have been the design of Donato Bramante. There was once an altarpiece by Titian. But these are not the reason this church and Dominican convent is on the UNESCO World Heritage sites list.
In a room, planned as a mausoleum for the Sforza family, they commission Leonardo Da Vinci to decorate one wall. What he paints is “The Last Supper,” more a fresco than a painting, and one of the most recognizable pictures in the world.
Access is limited to avoid any additional deterioration, and I cannot emphasize enough to look at tickets the minute you know you are going to Milan.
The church website (in Italian, but you can figure it out, I have faith in you.) usually releases one or two months of tickets at a time, approximately three months prior. I have seen the whole month disappear within hours. Mark your calendar for the day they become available and have a credit card in hand.
The Last Supper
I have never been to Milan (or on a cruise ship calling on Genoa) that I haven’t heard people say, this was something I wanted to see, and there are no tickets for the next three weeks. Don’t be a tourist. You’re a traveler. If all else fails, and you still cannot secure tickets, buy a group tour that includes a visit.
Whether you are Christian, Jewish, or of another belief or religion, you should see this masterpiece once in real life. Words and pictures do not do it justice.
La Vigna di Leonardo. – A home and tiny vineyard where Da Vinci would rest after working on his painting across the street. The winery was a gift from the Duke of Milan in 1498.
The house changed ownership many times, and the neighborhood indeed has built up, but with a little imagination, you can hear him saying, “Ohh, my aching fingers.”
Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci. – Less than a ten-minute walk from Santa Maria is this fun museum for the little kid in all of us. In addition to an incredible wealth of items to look at (and some you can touch,) there are activities you can sign up for upon arrival.
The museum also houses an essential collection of da Vinci machine models. More than 130 of them built following his designs.
Further from the Center.
South
Navigli District. – This area was once a bustling commercial area for boats. WHAT? Canals, which may or may not have been an idea of Da Vinci’s, were used to move supplies, including building materials for the Duomo. Not to the extent of Venice, but the canals were necessary before cars and trucks.
A small stretch of canal in the Navigli District has been reborn. Canalside cafes and art shops line both sides of the channel for approximately a mile stretch. It is a great place to decompress in the afternoon or to ease into your evening.
From the Duomo, the ride is approximately 20 minutes, depending on traffic. Use Viale Gorizia and Ripa di Porta Ticinese as the cross streets. There is another canal nearby. The Naviglio Pavese, but it is more commercial than social.
Porta Ticinese. – Just east of where the two canals meet is this former city gate. The current structure dating from 1814, replaced a portal from the 1600s.
North
Cimitero Monumentale di Milano. – For those who like to explore cemeteries, this is one of the city’s largest. It is known for its artistic tombs and monuments. Dating from 1866, some of Milan’s famous now rest here, including pianist Vladimir Horowitz and conductor Arturo Toscanini.
The main entrance is through the large Famedio, a massive Neo-Medieval building made of stone and marble. Here, you can see photographs and maps outlining the cemetery’s history.
The cemetery has more than 30 sections, including one for non-Catholics and a Jewish area. Besides classical Italian sculptures, you can also find Greek temples, obelisks, and a scaled-down version of the Trajan’s Column.
Casa di Riposo per Musicisti is a 20-minute ride west of the Duomo area. It is a home for retired opera singers and musicians who otherwise might not afford a place. The building dates from 1896. The founder, an Italian composer, named Giuseppe Verdi, wanted to share his good fortune. Part of his opera royalties still goes to its upkeep. The graves of both Verdi and his wife are here.
You can visit the crypt daily. Reservations are required to tour other parts of the house.
Milan Summary
This blog is merely a scratch on the surface of Milan. With thousands of years of history, the city has layers of interesting things to discover.
You could spend a week just going to museums. The city has more than 25 art museums, three historical, five natural, seven others, including an Alfa Romeo museum, and these do not include the nine museums at the Sforza castle.
There are over 40 churches, 12 central piazzas, and more than 120 historical Palazzos, casa, and villas from the 13th – 19th century. Many are open to visitors.
Then there’s the Milanese food and wine from three excellent wine regions nearby.
So definitely, this is only a scratch on the surface.
Why are you waiting?