Milan (in Italian, Milano , of the Latin Mediolanum , in Lombard Milan , as in French) is located at the north of the Italy. Capital of the area of Lombardy, in the center of the Flat of Po, the city account 1,3 million inhabitants, and forms the greatest agglomeration of the country (4 million inhabitants). With its 7,5 million inhabitants, the urban surface of Milan is the fifth of Europe, after Moscow, Paris, London and Istanbul. It is the seat of the Italian purse and represents a large center of attraction for the administrative seats of various multinationals. Thus, Milan is a world Ville (as well as Chicago, Frankfurt, Singapore, Los Angeles and HongKong). Center industrial, commercial, financial and university, she is regarded the main city of the north of Italy and as the economic capital of the country.

Geography

The city is located a zone of plain, in the Western part of the Lombardy. It is located right in the middle of a marshy zone (the " Bassa") and is installed on a dry ground projection. The metropolis is irrigated by small rivers, the Lambro, the Olona, the Seveso, and by several channels, Naviglio Grande , Naviglio Pavese , Martesana . It is to 25 km in the east of the Tessin, to 25 km in the west of the Adda, to 35 km in the north of the Po and to 50 km in the south of the Lac of Like and the border Suisse.

Milan is with the crossroads of several transportation routes of regional, national and international importance: it is connected to Turin, with Genoa, the axis of the Emilie-Romagna, the axis Brescia - Venezia, with Bergamo and the Orobiques valleys, with the alpine crossings of the Valteline (Val Venosta, Engadine and high valley of the the Rhine), with the Tessin (San Bernardino, Lucomagno and Saint-Gothard), with the Simplon pass. This position, associated with the fertility of its territory, is the independent factor which explains its history and its role as well with regard to the Italian nation as of the transalpine countries.

History

Milan is created by the Celte S, the Insubres, a probably indigenous tribe which formed part at the time prehistoric of the culture of Golasecca. According to Tite-Live, the city would have been founded by Gaulois Bituriges taken along by Bellovesos, nephew of the mythical king Ambigatos.

After having been the most important city of Gallic Insubres, Milan is conquered in -222 by the Romains, following a rough seat of the Roman consuls Gnæus Cornelius Scipio Calvus and Marcus Claudius Marcellus. The conquest is opposed by the arrival of Hannibal to which the local population must be combined. It is only in the first years of the IIe front century J. - C. that Insubres and the Boïens are assujetis with the Roman domination.

The Romain S transmitted to us the name of the city like Mediolanum (“in the middle of the plain”), probably adaptation of a Celtic toponym. The legend tells that on arrival of the Romain S, Insubres took the gilded signs placed in the temple of Minerve, to carry them in sure place, in Montagne. The Military importance , economic Politique and makes it possible the city to receive the title of Municipalité then of imperial colony before becoming the Chef-lieu of the province of Aemilia and Liguria.

Into 286, the emperor Dioclétien divides the Empire into two parts; the capital of the Occident is moved in Milan, that of the East with Nicomédie. Maximien builds large a Cirque (or Hippodrome, 470 X 85m), the “thermae erculee” (baths). Since the 1st century Milan has a large amphitheater (155 X 125 m), the third of the ancient world, after the Colisée of Rome and that of Capoue. Officially, the imperial court remains in Milan until in 402, when Ravenne becomes the new capital of the Western Empire.

The emperor Constantin {{Ier}} promulgates there the edict of Milan (313) which legalizes the Christian worship.

With Saint Ambroise Milan becomes one of the most important centers of Christianity. The emperor Théodose I {{er}} is obliged with penitence, the covered head of ash, apart from the church. Following this humilitiation, Théodose will take measures against the pagan ones.

With the the Middle Ages and the modern time, Milan is the capital of a duchy held initially by the family Visconti. Its dynasty holds the town of 1263 until in 1447, then it yields the place to the family Sforce after the short interlude of popular government of the République Ambrosienne (1447-1450).

The kings of France (Valois-Orleans) asserting dynastic rights on the duchy of Milan take part in the Guerres of Italy to the Renaissance. The city then passes to the hands Spaniards of Charles Quint in 1535, then is conquered by the Austrians in 1713 before belonging to the République cisalpine under Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1859, the king of Sardinia, which will become thereafter king d' Italie, seizes the Milanais.

Milan is also episcopal see. Were bishops of Milan:

  • Holy Ambroise
  • Holy Charles Borromée

Chronology

  • 286 : Milan becomes the capital of the Western Empire until in 402
  • 539: Milan is taken by the Ostrogoths
  • 1037: Milan revolts against the Aribert archbishop and force the emperor Conrad II to sign the Edict of the Benefit which ensures the heredity of the strongholds
  • 1277: Otton Visconti directs Milan.
  • 1295 : Mathieu Visconti seizes the power in Milan.
  • 1386 : Construction of the Dome of Milan.
  • 1447 : End of the domination of the dynasty Visconti in Milan and beginning of the Republic Ambrosienne.
  • 1450 : François Sforza becomes duke of Milan.
  • 1848 : like many cities European, Milan is raised.

Monuments

  • the Dome, it Duomo
  • the basilicas Paléo-Christian woman S: Holy Ambroise, San Lorenzo ale column, San Nazaro maggiore, Sant' Eustorgio
  • the Abbey of Clairvaux
  • the church Santa Maria delle Grazie, where one can see Cène , table of Léonard de Vinci
  • the church Saint-Alexandre, which counted 144.000 Relique S at the XIXe century.
  • the church San Maurizio Al Monastero Maggiore
  • the church Santa Maria presso San Satiro
  • the opera La Scala
  • the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, called It Salotto di Milano (the Living room of Milan). This roofed passageway gathers the most expensive stores of the world and the smartest restaurants. One can admire there superb arcades as well as a splendid cupola of iron and glass.
  • the Art gallery of Brera
  • the Art gallery Ambrosienne
  • Villa Belgiojoso Bonaparte - Museo dell' Ottocento
  • the museum Poldi-Pezzoli
  • the Museum Bagatti Valsecchi, of the collections of decorative objects and art, of the time of the Italian Rebirth in a historical house of the 19th century with
  • the castle built at the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, it Castello Sforzesco
  • the Cimitero Monumental
  • the Horse of Léonard

Population

The town of Milan shelters 1.4 million people.

The extent urban (the reality city) has 7.5 million inhabitants

The Area has 9 million inhabitants.

At least half of inhabitants (Italian) of Milan provenient of Italy of the south. (they are the immigrers of the year '60 and '70)

Milan has largest communantée Chinese of the country. One counts also many immigrants of Magrheb, for much (but not all the mond) alive in the most total illegality and devoting itself to drug traffickings in any kind.

But in parallel much of these immigrants are well ensérés in the community, and work honestly. Many Egyptians, for example, are brilliant bakers and chief cook of pizza pie .

For a few years, tensions has entered communautées immigrant and Italian appeared, due to a constant flut of an clandestine immigration uncontrolled, although the municipal policy is directed by the Droit (Northern Lega and Forza Italia) since 1993.

Transport

Airports

Milan is served by three Aéroport S, located in the agglomeration of the Grande Milano .

the International airport of Malpensa, which is located in the Province of Varèse, is the largest airport of city. It is connected to the center town by a railway shuttle, the Malpensa Express, and by various lines of bus. It is the second airport of Italy after the Aéroport Léonard-in-Vinci Rome Fiumicino.

The airport of Linate, nearer, is reserved for the European internal lines or and the companies at low prices. It is in the east of the city and is served by the line of bus n° 73.

Lastly, with Bergamo, is the Aéroport of Bergamo-Orio Al Serio, international, it is used mainly by the flights charters, freight and certain services at low prices.

All in all, the three airports of Lombardy approximately manage an annual traffic of 34 million passengers, and constitute the most important airport system of Italy (It is in this area that the greatest part of the Italian air traffic concentrates).

Subway

The Milanese subway includes/understands three lines: M1, rossa (red), m2, verde (green) and m3, gialla (yellow).

The network is managed by ATM and is characterized by its logo “M” white on red bottom. It extends on more than 80 km. Station of Cascina Gobba (m2), share moreover an automatic underground line which connects it to the close university hospital San Raffaele (subway San Raffaele)

The extension of the network in progress or is programmed: prolongation in the course of the line m3 on approximately 15 km and 10 new stations; construction of the M5 new line, which should enter in service in 2008; the lines M4 (direct connection with the airport of Linate) and M6 are under study.

Trams

The Tramway S belong to the Milanese landscape. They are divided, with the car S, the roadway. It is one of the networks of the widest trams of the world with 287 km of ways which serve the whole of Large Milan.

Metropolitan railways and suburban

The “suburban Railway service” (lines “S”), overall made up of eight suburban lines (10 as from 2008), serves most of the Milanese metropolitan surface (Large Milan), and other important nearby centers (Saronno, Varèse, Like, Novare, etc). These lines, which constitute a Réseau regional express, are exploited jointly by Trenitalia and the Northern Ferrovie Milano. The 8 lines S are given rhythm with the mininum at half an hour, of 6:00 of the morning at 0:30, the every day of the year. The trains spend each hour to the same minutes (Horaire given rhythm) and serve all the stations of the line. In Milan, one borrows it with an urban ticket.

After the completion of the Busy ferroviario , line crossing Milan and integrated into the network “S”, is under study one second transversal Passante which will cross the city to the west.

The “regional Railway service (lines “R”) connects Milan to the remainder of the Lombardy and the national railway network.

The three grid systems are quite distinct and recognizable outside of the stations and with the stops thanks to luminous signs indicating M, S or R, thus facilitating the correspondences between the systems.

Milan of the future

Today, the city knows a deep reversal of the architectural point of the sight, with on the one hand operations of requalification urban of vast districts, and on the other hand of large building sites which seek, through an ambitious architecture, to express the economic vitality of Milan.

It is the case of the news " di Milano" will trust; , the restoration of the theater of Scala, the project Citylife which will include/understand three skyscrapers heights ranging between 180 and 216 meters, the European library, the district S.Giulia, the " città beyond moda" who will culminate with highest with 190 meters in height, the skyscraper of the future seat of the area Lombardy (160 m), the two Vaserine skyscrapers which will reach 120 and 130 meters, the buildings " ex-Falck" of Sesto S.Giovanni (110 m), a project of skyscraper to more than 215 meters, another of town hall 150 height meters and a last project named Famagosta (150 m).

All these projects deeply will modify the " skyline" (overall picture) of the Milanese metropolis, which will not be dominated any more by " It Duomo" , nor by the very old silhouette of the skyscraper Pirelli (127 m) or intriguing it " Torre Velasca " who dates from the Années 1950 (106 m), but by new constructions of buildings of great height which will compete on a European scale with those of districts like Defense with Paris or the City with London.

Culture

Léonard de Vinci painted in Milan, in particular its famous table Cène. Other famous painters exerted their art like there Caravage. During the Austrian domination, the city sees developing many artistic schools, like its Ballet and its lyric Opéra. Three operas of Mozart were created in its theater: Mitridate Re del Ponto (12/26/1770), Ascanio in Alba (10/17/1771) and Lucio Silla (12/26/1772). Mozart failed to become the official type-setter of the ducal court, but the Marie-Therese empress refused it because Mozart was regarded as a type-setter " vagabond".

During the next century, with La Scala, the teatre went Canobbiana , the Carcano and other theaters, Milan becomes one of the major centers of the lyric opera in Europe. It accommodates foreign type-setters, of German language (like Mozart, Simon Mayr or Giacomo Meyerbeer), Neapolitan (Saverio Mercadante, Piccinni…) but also of other Italian states (Bellini, Rossini, Donizetti, Made green, which made in Milan its first ( Oberto Conte di S.Bonifacio , Nabucco ) and also its last operas ( Otello and Falstaff ). Made green is buried in Milan, in the Institute for the invalid musicians whom it founded in the city.

During the 20th century, important theatrical institutions are born, like the Piccolo teatro (animated by Giorgio Strehler, Paolo Grassi) and the Commune animated by Dario Fo (Nobel Prize of literature).

Milan is also the town of birth of the SPOKE (radio Italian television) now installed with Rome. In Milan were born from other more recent chains like Mediaset ( Canale 5 , Italia 1 , Rete 4 ).

Religion

Milan preserves a rite particular Catholique, the rite Ambrosien ( rito ambrosiano ). The religious ceremonies are thus a little different from those of the other areas of the Europe. There are also some differences in the calendar (by example, the Carnaval of Milan has a few days of delay on those of the rest of the world).

The most important difference, it is the presence of the song ambrosien, instead of the song Grégorien, ignored and ever used in Milan. For the conservation of this song (older than the Gregorian one) there is, in Milan, an institute, the PIAMS. The rite ambrosien is of use in the parishes of Milan, some parishes of Bergamo, Like, Crémone and also in Suisse.

Sport

The principal sport is of course the Football which occupies a great place in the heart of the Italy NS, and even more in those of the Milaneses, because of the two large clubs installed in the city which are FC Internazionale , known in France like Inter Milan (Nerazzuri) and the Milan AC (Rossoneri). In Italy the two teams are always call only " Milan" and " Inter".

Moreover, the two teams play in the same place, the famous stage San Siro, theater of the greatest matches of the Italian championship and the European cuts. The derbies are always very hot, but " I cugini" (cousins) respect themselves.

Cook and gastronomy

The restaurants are especially concentrated in the historical center, and the districts of Brera '. In general, in the historical center and in Brera, one finds restaurants more sophisticated and elegant, and in Navigli, restaurants more rustic, like the trattorie and ostery . One finds also many restaurants ethnic which are an alternative to the traditional kitchen. In Milan, one eats well, but the price of a meal is a little high.

The typical dishes of the Milanese kitchen are:

Personalities

Personalities born in Milan

Personalities related to Milan

Blasonnement

Of money to the cross of mouths.

Administration

Hamlets

Communes bordering

Arese, Assago, Baranzate, Corsico, Peschiera Borromeo, Rho, Sesto San Giovanni, Cormano, Cologno Monzese, Bresso, Novate Milanese, Vimodrone, Pero, Segrate, Settimo Milanese, Cusago, Cesano Boscone, Trezzano sul Naviglio, San Donato Milanese, Buccinasco, Rozzano, Opera

Twinnings

  • ( November), protocol of exchange and co-operation

See too

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