24 2
MILAN rianis, Viscontis and, finally, the Sforzas. It
POP 1.3 MILLION
fell under Spanish rule in 1525 and Austrian
Milan is Italy’s city of the future, a fast-paced rule in 1713. Milan became part of the nas-
metropolis with New World qualities: ambi- cent Kingdom of Italy in 1860.
tion, aspiration and a highly individualistic Benito Mussolini, one-time editor of
streak. In Milan appearances really do mat- the socialist newspaper Avanti!, founded
ter and materialism requires no apology. the Fascist Party in Milan in 1919. He was
The Milanese love beautiful things, luxuri- eventually strung up here by partisans af-
ous things, and it is for that reason perhaps ter he sought to escape to Switzerland in
that Italian fashion and design maintain 1945. Mussolini joined Germany in WWII
their esteemed global position. in 1940. By early 1945, Allied bombings had
But like the models that stalk the cat- destroyed much of central Milan.
walks, many consider Milan to be vain, At the vanguard of two 20th-century eco-
distant and dull. And it is true that the city nomic booms, Milan cemented its role as
makes little effort to seduce visitors. But this Italy’s financial and industrial capital. Im-
superficial lack of charm disguises a city of migrants poured in from the south and were
ancient roots and many treasures, that, un- later joined by others from China, Africa,
Latin America, India and Eastern Europe,
Mil an & the L akes M
like in the rest of Italy, you’ll often get to
experience without the queues. So while the making for one of the least homogenous cit-
Milanese may not have time to always play ies in Italy. Culturally, the city was the cen-
nice, jump in and join them in their intoxi- tre of early Italian film production, and in
cating round of pursuits, be that precision the 1980s and ’90s it ruled the world as the
shopping, browsing edgy contemporary capital of design innovation and production.
galleries or loading up a plate with local Milan’s self-made big shot and media mo-
delicacies while downing an expertly mixed gul, Silvio Berlusconi, made the move into
negroni cocktail. politics in the 1990s and was then elected
prime minister three more times – scandal
Milan
S iIgL hts
History and economic armageddon finally forced
AN
him from office in 2011.
Celtic tribes settled along the Po river in the The city’s next big date with destiny is
7th century BC, and the area encompassing Expo 2015, when Milan is hoping to wow
modern-day Milan has remained inhab- 20 million visitors with a world exposition
ited since. In AD 313, Emperor Constantine based on the theme ‘Feeding the Planet, En-
made his momentous edict granting Chris- ergy for Life’.
tians freedom of worship here. The city had
already replaced Rome as the capital of the
empire in 286, a role it kept until 402.
1 Sights
A comune (town council) was formed by Milan’s runway-flat terrain and monumen-
all social classes in the 11th century, and, tal buildings are defined by concentric ring
from the mid-13th century, government roads that trace the path of the city’s original
passed to a succession of dynasties – the Tor- defensive walls. Although very little remains
ADOPT A SPIRE
The building of Milan’s cathedral was such an epic feat that it necessitated the creation
of a factory responsible for all operational activities and construction. That factory is the
Fabbrica del Duomo, Italy’s oldest company. It has overseen the work of the Duomo’s
construction from 1387 until January 1965 (the inauguration of the last gate).
Today it continues the enormous task of maintaining the cathedral. This is no mean
feat when 5 million people (and 40% of all visitors to Milan) pass through the bronze
doors each year, not to mention new austerity measures that slashed 30% off Italy’s
culture budget.
But now you, too, can chip in with the Fabbrica’s latest inspired idea, Adopt a Spire
(www.getyourspire.com). This crowd-sourced campaign aims to raise some €25 million
in order to restore 134 of the cathedral’s fabulous spires. Major donors (contributing
€100,000 or more) will even have their names engraved on the spires, but you can do-
nate as little as €10.
