 All about MILAN, Italy - Touristic informations, Foods & Events |
Milan
Capital of Lombardy and of Milan province (population, 1993 estimate: 1,334,171), North Italy, at the heart of the Po basin. Because of its strategic position in the Lombard plain, at the intersection of several major transportation routes, it has been since the Middle Ages an international commercial, financial, and industrial centre.
The second-largest Italian city in population (after Rome), it is a leading commercial, financial, and manufacturing city and a major centre of intellectual and artistic life. Milan is predominantly modern, surrounded by industrial suburbs.
It has many tall apartment and office buildings in the business district and extensive residential and industrial sections. An underground railway was opened in 1964.
The principal square is the Piazza del Duomo, at one end of which stands the Duomo (cathedral) a huge Gothic structure of white marble, begun in 1386 and completed in 1965. To the south-west of the Piazza del Duomo is the basilica di Sant'Ambrogio (AD 386). Near the basilica is the 15th-century church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Adjacent to the church is a former Dominican monastery, in the refectory of which is the famous fresco of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.
Ancient Mediolanum is believed to have been founded by a Celtic people. Captured by the Romans in 222 BC, it flourished under the Roman Empire and became the residence of the emperors of the West in the 4th century AD. The city was sacked by the Huns under Attila around 450 and was destroyed by the Goths in 539. By the end of the 8th century the city had begun to prosper again.
During the Middle Ages, Milan was governed by a number of archbishops, under whom the city had a certain degree of independence. The archbishops, however, gradually lost their temporal power to the lower feudal nobility, who transformed Milan into a prosperous commune in the 11th century. In 1162 Milan was razed by troops under Emperor Frederick I. The city recovered sufficiently to help secure the victory (1176) of the Lombard League over Frederick near Legnano. The victory heralded a new period of prosperity. In 1277 a noble family, the Visconti, succeeded in wresting control of the city from the ruling Della Torre family; the Visconti ruled until 1447. The reign of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, 1st Duke of Milan (1351-1402), was a particularly prosperous period and was regarded as a golden age.
In 1450 the Italian soldier Francesco Sforza seized power and founded a line that remained firmly in control of Milan until 1500, when the city was conquered by France. The Sforzas continued to rule as puppets of successive foreign invaders, including the French, the Swiss, and the Austrians. The Sforza line died out in 1535, and soon afterwards Milan came under the rule of Spain. Spain ruled until 1713, when the city was ceded to Austria by the terms of the Peace of Utrecht. Napoleon ousted the Austrians in 1796 and made Milan the capital of the Cisalpine Republic.
Restored to Austria in 1815, Milan became a centre of Italian patriotic resistance, and in 1848 it briefly expelled the Austrians. In 1859, the Italians, aided by the French, freed Milan from Austrian control. In 1861 Milan joined the kingdom of Italy and subsequently prospered. During World War II it was heavily bombed. In the post-war period Milan experienced great commercial expansion and urban renewal.
Milan Eating
Traditional Milanese cooking is made up of simple, meager dishes and typical plates are:
Risotto alla Milanese, made with a full-bodied beef broth (the original recipe includes bone marrow) and flavored with saffron.
"Cassoeula", an extremely filling dish made with various poor parts of pork meat (tail, ribs, rind, feet and ears) cooked with green cabbage and other vegetables.
Milanese cutlet that is probably nothing like you've ever tasted in other places: Milan restaurants actually serve a very tasty, crunchy cutlet, made with a veal chop, including the bone. Another alternative is veal tonné, that is a light, tasty veal slice covered in tuna, mayonnaise, anchovy and caper sauce.
Salame di Milano, made from finely minced pork and beef meat, and many types of cheese too. Grana Padano is a famous cheese overseas, which is made everywhere in the Pò valley.
Mascarpone is also a typical Milanese cheese, that is an essential ingredient for desserts and creams, often mixed with other cheeses, salami or fish. However, the most famous Milanese cheese is without a doubt Gorgonzola, that rich, strongly flavored cheese that reigns supreme at the Milan dinner table. This creamy cheese, that has blue veins running through it, is used to dress tasty first courses and to flavor Polenta or can be eaten alone.
Finally, we should remember Crescenza, or Stracchino, a soft, creamy fresh milk cheese with a slightly sweet taste. This is excellent when spread on a slice of bread or eaten with raw vegetables.
|
|
![]()
| MILAN Map |
|
|
 Live Help |
Live reservation help
Contact our staff for having support in your reservation.
|
|
| Food & Nightlife |
|
![]() |
| Top Rated |
|
![]()
Links |
|
|
|
