Introducing Milan
Amid the busy city life, Milan also cherishes its history and traditions.
Your typical Milanese is work-focused, chaotic and a frequent attendee of aperitifs, but don’t be fooled into thinking that’s the whole picture. Lombardy's capital city boasts a rich artistic heritage, is home to the prestigious La Scala theatre and a striking skyline dotted with skyscrapers. But there is more.
Milan is a cosmopolitan metropolis with a European flair, and is considered one of the world's fashion and design capitals, a city of trendsetters and trailblazers. It is also a strategic financial centre at the international level, so much so that the Italian stock exchange is based here. Lombardy's capital has always been a shopping destination, concentrated in its Fashion Rectangle, the Quadrilatero della Moda.
Let’s not forget its luxury gastronomy, from traditional to fusion cuisine, nor the city's wide-ranging cultural offer, from exhibitions to live shows, best enjoyed after savouring a classic aperitif.
Founded around 590 BC by a Celtic tribe from the Insubri group in the centre of the Po Valley, this ancient settlement of Mediolanum has always played a central role in the Italian political and cultural world. While currently Italy's second most populous city, Milan was the capital of the Western Roman Empire from 286 AD to 402 AD. During the Holy Roman Empire, the importance of the city grew so much that it evolved into a free commune, leaving a mark on the history of Lombardy and the destiny of Italy as a whole.
Despite its tortuous and troubled history, Milan has grown to become an important hub, playing a fundamental strategic role. As a symbol of the Resistance, after World War II and particularly in the 1950s Milan became the power house of the Italian reconstruction effort, both industrially and culturally.
