View source for Milan

{{Short description|Second-largest city in Italy}}
{{Redirect|Milano|other uses|Milano (disambiguation)|and|Milan (disambiguation)}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                   = Milan
| official_name          = Comune di Milano
| native_name            = {{native name|it|Milano}}
| settlement_type        = {{lang|it|[[Comune]]}}
| image_skyline          = {{multiple image
  | border        = infobox
  | perrow        = 1/3/2
  | total_width   = 290
  | align         = center
  | caption_align = center
  | image1        = Milan_skyline_skyscrapers_of_Porta_Nuova_business_district_(cropped).jpg
  | caption1      = [[List of tallest buildings in Milan|Skyline of Milan]] with [[Porta Nuova (Milan)|Porta Nuova]] business district
  | image2        = 20110725_Arco_della_Pace_Milan_5617.jpg
  | caption2      = [[Porta Sempione]]
  | image3        = Facade - Duomo - Milan 2014 (9).JPG
  | caption3      = [[Milan Cathedral]]
  | image4        = Castello Sforzesco (Milan) - main entrance.jpg
  | caption4      = [[Sforza Castle]]
  | image5        = Galleria_Milano_(179532365).jpeg
  | caption5      = [[Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II]]
  | image6        = Milan - Scala - Facade.jpg
  | caption6      = [[La Scala]]
  | image7        = Front portico of Stazione Centrale, Milan.jpg
  | caption7      = [[Milano Centrale railway station|Milano Centrale]]
  | image8        = Basilica of San Carlo al Corso (26512277809).jpg
  | caption8      = [[San Carlo al Corso, Milan|San Carlo al Corso]]
  }}
| image_map              = 
| pushpin_label_position = right
| subdivision_type       = Country
| subdivision_name       = Italy
| subdivision_type2      = [[Regions of Italy|Region]]
| subdivision_name2      = [[Lombardy]]
| subdivision_type3      = [[Metropolitan Cities of Italy|Metropolitan city]]
| subdivision_name3      = [[Metropolitan City of Milan|Milan]]
| government_footnotes   = 
| government_type        = [[Mayor-council government|Strong Mayor–Council]]
| leader_title2          = Legislature
| leader_name2           = [[City Council of Milan|Milan City Council]]
| leader_title1          = [[Mayor of Milan|Mayor]]
| leader_name1           = [[Giuseppe Sala (politician)|Giuseppe Sala]]
| elevation_footnotes    = 
| area_metro_km2         = 3632
| elevation_m            = 120
| unit_pref              = Metric
| area_footnotes         = <ref name="area">{{cite web|url=https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/156224|title=Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011|language=it|publisher=[[Italian National Institute of Statistics|ISTAT]]}}</ref>
| area_total_km2         = 181.67
| population_total       = 1366155
| population_rank        = [[List of cities in Italy|2nd]] in Italy
| population_footnotes   = <ref name="population">{{cite web|title=Monthly Demographic Balance|url=https://demo.istat.it/app/?l=en&a=&i=D7B|publisher=[[Italian National Institute of Statistics|ISTAT]]}}</ref>
| population_metro       = 6,150,000
| population_metro_footnotes = <ref name="CityPopulation.de">{{Cite web |title=Major Agglomerations of the World - Population Statistics and Maps |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/world/agglomerations/ |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref>
| population_as_of       = 2025
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym     = Milanese<br/>Meneghino<ref>In reference to the [[Meneghino]] mask.</ref>
| demographics_type2     = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="Eurostat metro area GDP data">{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/met_10r_3gdp/default/table?lang=en|title=Gross domestic product (GDP) at current market prices by metropolitan regions|last=|first=|date=|website=ec.europa.eu|access-date=}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1   = Metro
| demographics2_info1    = €228&nbsp;billion (2024)
| timezone1              = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1            = +1
| timezone1_DST          = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST        = +2
| telephone              = 
| postalcode             = 
| website                = [https://www.comune.milano.it/en/ www.comune.milano.it]
| coordinates            = {{coord|45|28|01|N|09|11|24|E|display=inline,title}}
| mapframe               = yes
| mapframe-wikidata      = yes
| imagesize              = 
| image_alt              = 
| image_flag             = Flag of Milan.svg
| image_shield           = CoA Città di Milano.svg
| map_alt                = 
| map_caption            = 
| pushpin_map            = Italy#Italy Lombardy#Europe
| pushpin_relief         = yes
| pushpin_map_alt        = 
| coordinates_footnotes  = 
| twin1                  = 
| twin1_country          = 
| postal_code            = 20121–20162
| area_code              = 0039 02
}}

'''Milan''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ɪ|ˈ|l|æ|n}} {{respell|mil|AN}}, {{IPAc-en|USalso|m|ɪ|ˈ|l|ɑː|n}} {{respell|mil|AHN}},<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/amp/english/milan|title=Milan|work=[[Collins English Dictionary]]|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|access-date=28 February 2019|archive-date=1 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301013451/https://www.collinsdictionary.com/amp/english/milan|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Milan|access-date=28 February 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|lmo|miˈlãː|lang|Milan.ogg|label=[[Milanese dialect|Milanese]]:}}; {{langx|it|Milano}} {{IPA|it|miˈlaːno||It-Milano.ogg}}) is the regional capital of [[Lombardy]], in [[northern Italy]], and the second-most populous city in Italy, with a population of 1.36 million in 2025. The [[Metropolitan City of Milan]] is the largest city in Italy by urban area. Its [[Milan metropolitan area|wider metropolitan area]] is the largest in Italy, and the fourth-largest in the European Union, with an estimated population of 6.1 million.<ref name="CityPopulation.de"/> Milan is considered Italy’s economic capital,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Topic: Milan |url=https://www.statista.com/topics/12103/milan/ |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> and its metropolitan area accounts for about 20 % of the country’s GDP.<ref name="prologis" />

Founded around 590 BC<ref name="cronologia">{{cite web |title=Cronologia di Milano dalla fondazione fino al 150 d.C. |url=http://www.storiadimilano.it/cron/finoal150.htm |access-date=11 July 2018 |language=it}}</ref> by a [[Celts|Celtic]] tribe, Milan [[Roman expansion in Italy|was conquered]] by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] in 222 BC, who [[Latinisation of names|Latinized]] the name of the city into [[Mediolanum]]<ref name="cronologia" /><ref name="Tellier">{{cite book |last=Tellier |first=Luc-Normand |url=https://archive.org/details/urbanworldhistor00tell |title=Urban World History |publisher=Press de l'Université du Québec |year=2009 |isbn=978-2-7605-1588-8 |location=Québec |page=[https://archive.org/details/urbanworldhistor00tell/page/n289 274] |url-access=limited}}</ref> and made it the capital of the [[Western Roman Empire]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 November 2018 |title=Quando Milano era capitale dell'Impero |url=https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/18_novembre_24/quando-milano-era-capitale-dell-impero-2f798e3a-efb4-11e8-bbf1-7b061d972f8e.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609204752/https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/18_novembre_24/quando-milano-era-capitale-dell-impero-2f798e3a-efb4-11e8-bbf1-7b061d972f8e.shtml |archive-date=9 June 2023 |access-date=14 September 2023 |website=[[Corriere della Sera]]}}</ref> In the Late Medieval period, the wealthy [[Duchy of Milan]] was one of the greatest forces behind the [[Renaissance]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=kuneo_Cav |date=20 May 2019 |title=Storia del ducato di Milano: dai Visconti ai Sforza |url=https://www.cavalleriasanmaurizio.com/storia-del-ducato-di-milano/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027204929/https://www.cavalleriasanmaurizio.com/storia-del-ducato-di-milano/ |archive-date=27 October 2021 |access-date=27 October 2021 |website=Cavalleria San Maurizio |language=it-IT}}</ref> As a  major center of the [[Italian Enlightenment]] during the [[Early modern period]], Milan's cultural and political struggle against [[Austrian Empire|Austrian]] domination was crucial in the reunification of the [[Kingdom of Italy]]. From the 19th century onwards, Milan led the industrial and financial development of Italy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 November 2018 |title=Milan – story of a business capital of Europe |url=https://www.italianbusinesstips.com/milan-story/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027204930/https://www.italianbusinesstips.com/milan-story/ |archive-date=27 October 2021 |access-date=27 October 2021 |website=Italian Business Tips |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Milan {{!}} History, Population, Climate, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Milan-Italy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027204926/https://www.britannica.com/place/Milan-Italy |archive-date=27 October 2021 |access-date=27 October 2021 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref> 

Milan is a major international center of industry, finance,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Global Financial Centres Index 36 |url=https://www.longfinance.net/media/documents/GFCI_36_Report_2024.09.24_v1.1.pdf |publisher=[[Z/Yen]] Group |access-date=15 November 2025}}</ref> science,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leading 200 science cities |url=https://www.natureindex.com/supplements/nature-index-2021-science-cities/tables/overall|access-date=16 November 2025 |publisher=Nature}}</ref> communications, fashion, art and tourism. {{As of|2024}}, Milan with [[Metropolitan City of Milan]] is the eleventh city in the world for number of millionaire residents (115,000). This is confirmed by a report by Henley & Partners 2024. Milan was classified as an "Alpha" city by the [[Globalization and World Cities Research Network]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Cities 2024 |url=https://gawc.lboro.ac.uk/gawc-worlds/the-world-according-to-gawc/world-cities-2024/ |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=GaWC |language=en-US}}</ref> Milan's business district hosts [[Borsa Italiana]], Italy's main stock exchange (part of the [[Euronext]] consortium, the world's [[List of major stock exchanges|sixth-largest]] by market capitalization) and the headquarters of numerous national corporations, including eight [[List of largest Italian companies|Fortune 500 Europe]] companies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fortune 500 Europe 2023 |url=https://fortune.com/europe/ranking/fortune500-europe/search/?fg500_country=Italy |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=Fortune |language=en}}</ref> {{As of|2023}}, Milan and its [[Metropolitan City of Milan|special metropolitan authority]] have the largest GDP and the highest per-capita GDP of any Italian province.<ref>{{cite web |title=Conti economici territoriali - Anni 2021-2023 |url=https://www.istat.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/REPORT-CONTI-TERRITORIALI_Anni-2021-2023.pdf |website=www.istat.it |publisher=[[Istat]] |access-date=15 November 2025 |page=7 |language=Italian}}</ref> 

Milan is a global fashion capital<ref name="Breward">{{cite book |last1=Breward |first1=Cristopher |title=The Cambridge Global History of Fashion: Volume 2: From the Nineteenth Century to the Present |last2=Lemire |first2=Beverly |last3=Riello |first3=Giorgio |date=2023 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781108495554 |location=Cambridge, United Kingdom |page=1342 }}</ref> and a major international tourist destination, appearing among the most visited cities in the world, ranking second in Italy after Rome, fifth in Europe and sixteenth in the world.<ref name="ilgiorno">{{cite web |date=4 July 2023 |title=Milano è la seconda città più amata dai turisti in Italia dopo la capitale |url=https://www.ilgiorno.it/milano/cronaca/turismo-milano-e-la-seconda-citta-italiana-cercata-dai-vacanzieri-dopo-la-capitale-awvcm5wz |access-date=1 December 2023 |language=it}}</ref><ref name="newsroom">{{Cite web |title=Global Destination Cities Index 2019 di Mastercard: aumentano i turisti che scelgono l'Italia |url=https://newsroom.mastercard.com/eu/it/press-releases/global-destination-cities-index-2019-di-mastercard-aumentano-i-turisti-che-scelgono-litalia/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106101342/https://newsroom.mastercard.com/eu/it/press-releases/global-destination-cities-index-2019-di-mastercard-aumentano-i-turisti-che-scelgono-litalia/ |archive-date=6 November 2019 |access-date=26 March 2020 |language=it}}</ref> The city is a major cultural center, with museums and art galleries that feature some of the most important collections in the world, including major works by [[Leonardo da Vinci]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-02-16 |title=Musei di Milano |url=https://museidimilano.it/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507051544/https://museidimilano.it/ |archive-date=7 May 2023 |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=museidimilano.it |language=it-IT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Last Supper – Leonardo Da Vinci – Useful Information |url=https://www.milan-museum.com/leonardo-last-supper-cenacolo.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328062855/https://www.milan-museum.com/leonardo-last-supper-cenacolo.php |archive-date=28 March 2023 |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=www.milan-museum.com |language=en}}</ref> The city also hosts numerous educational institutions, including academies and universities that account for 11% of the national total of enrolled students.<ref name="University and research in Milan">{{cite web |title=University and research in Milan |url=http://www.provincia.milano.it/economia/en/saperne/milano_cifre/universita_ricerca/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513120847/http://www.provincia.milano.it/economia/en/saperne/milano_cifre/universita_ricerca/index.html |archive-date=13 May 2013 |access-date=4 November 2012 |publisher=Province of Milan}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=22 March 2023 |title=Migliori università al mondo, due sono a Milano: Politecnico e Bocconi |url=https://www.ilgiorno.it/cronaca/migliori-universita-mondo-classifica-jr4ndttb |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507052357/https://www.ilgiorno.it/cronaca/migliori-universita-mondo-classifica-jr4ndttb |archive-date=7 May 2023 |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Il Giorno |language=it}}</ref> Additionally, Milan hosts several international events and fairs, including Milan Fashion Week and the [[Milan Furniture Fair]], which are among the world's largest in terms of revenue, visitors and growth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.languagemonitor.com/fashion/ |title=Fashion |publisher=The Global Language Monitor |access-date=1 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603215713/http://www.languagemonitor.com/fashion/ |archive-date=3 June 2011 |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.frog.co/studio/milan |title=Milan, Italy &#124; frog |publisher=Frog.co previously frogdesign.com |access-date=1 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501065712/http://www.frogdesign.com/contact/milan.html-0 |archive-date=1 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.monocle.com/sections/design/Web-Articles/Milan-2009/ |title= Milan Furniture Fair |publisher= Monocle.com |date= 30 April 2009 |access-date= 10 July 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120713214024/http://www.monocle.com/sections/design/Web-Articles/Milan-2009/ |archive-date= 13 July 2012 |df= dmy-all }}</ref> The city is served by many luxury hotels and is the fifth most starred in the world by [[Michelin Guide]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.luxgallery.it/guida-michelin-2016-ristoranti-stellati-in-lombardia-64338.php|title=Guida Michelin 2016: ristoranti stellati in Lombardia|access-date=7 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502111851/http://www.luxgallery.it/guida-michelin-2016-ristoranti-stellati-in-lombardia-64338.php|archive-date=2 May 2016}}</ref> It hosted the [[World's fair|Universal Exposition]] in [[Milan International|1906]] and [[Expo 2015|2015]]. In the field of sports, Milan is home to two of Europe's most successful football teams, [[AC Milan]] and [[Inter Milan]], and one of Europe's main basketball teams, [[Olimpia Milano]]. Milan will host the [[2026 Winter Olympics|Winter Olympic]] and [[2026 Winter Paralympics|Paralympic]] games for the first time in 2026, together with [[Cortina d'Ampezzo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gamesbids.com/eng/winter-olympic-bids/2026-olympic-bid-news/lausanne-to-host-vote-for-winning-2026-winter-olympic-bid-instead-of-milan-after-italy-enters-race/|title=Lausanne To Host Vote For Winning 2026 Winter Olympic Bid Instead of Milan After Italy Enters Race|date=20 September 2018|publisher=GamesBids|access-date=1 November 2021|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424084754/https://gamesbids.com/eng/winter-olympic-bids/2026-olympic-bid-news/lausanne-to-host-vote-for-winning-2026-winter-olympic-bid-instead-of-milan-after-italy-enters-race/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://gamesbids.com/eng/winter-olympic-bids/2026-olympic-bid-news/ioc-to-move-up-2026-olympic-bid-vote-three-months-now-june-2019/|title=IOC To Move Up 2026 Olympic Bid Vote Three Months, Now June 2019|publisher=GamesBids|date=9 October 2018|access-date=1 November 2021|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424084759/https://gamesbids.com/eng/winter-olympic-bids/2026-olympic-bid-news/ioc-to-move-up-2026-olympic-bid-vote-three-months-now-june-2019/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/winter-olympics/48748380|title=Winter Olympics: Italy's Milan-Cortina bid chosen as host for the 2026 Games|publisher=BBC|date=24 June 2019|access-date=1 November 2021|archive-date=10 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910190954/https://www.bbc.com/sport/winter-olympics/48748380|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Toponymy ==
[[File:Scrofa semilanuta.jpg|thumb|left|Bas-relief sculpted on the [[Palazzo della Ragione, Milan|Palazzo della Ragione]] of the ''[[scrofa semilanuta]]'' ("half-woolly sow") from which, according to a theory, the city's toponym may derive|200x200px]]

Milan was founded with the Celtic name of Medhelanon,<ref name="Tellier"/><ref name="cronologia"/> later [[Latinisation of names|Latinized]] by the [[ancient Romans]] into [[Mediolanum]]. In [[Celtic language]] ''medhe-'' meant "middle, center" and the name element ''-lanon'' is the Celtic equivalent of Latin ''-planum'' "plain", meant "(settlement) in the midst of the plain",<ref name="Delamarre 2003 https://archive.org/details/dictionnairedela00dela_348/page/n219 221–222">{{cite book |last= Delamarre |first= Xavier |title= Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise |url= https://archive.org/details/dictionnairedela00dela_348 |url-access= limited |edition= 2nd |year= 2003 |publisher= Errance |location= Paris |isbn= 2-87772-237-6 |pages= [https://archive.org/details/dictionnairedela00dela_348/page/n219 221]–222 |language= fr}}</ref><ref name="Quintela">{{cite journal|first=Marco|last=García Quintela|title=Celtic Elements in Northwestern Spain in Pre-Roman times|journal=Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies|year=2005|quote=[...] a toponym, clearly in the second part of the composite Medio-lanum (=Milan), meaning 'plain' or flat area [...]}}</ref> or of "place between watercourses" (Celtic ''medhe'' = "in the middle, central"; ''land'' or ''lan'' = "land"), given the presence of the [[Olona]], [[Lambro]], [[Seveso (river)|Seveso]] rivers and the Nirone and Pudiga streams.<ref name="CraccoRuggini17">L.Cracco Ruggini, ''Milano da "metropoli" degli [[Insubri]] a capitale d'Impero: una vicenda di mille anni'', in Catalogo della Mostra "''Milano capitale dell'Impero romani (286-402 d.C.)''", edited by Gemma Sena Chiesa, Milano, 1990, p.17.</ref>

The [[Ancient Rome|Latin]] name ''Mediolanum'' comes from the Latin words ''medio'' (in the middle) and ''planus'' (plain).<ref>{{cite book|last= Ambrogio|first= Renzo|title= Nomi d'Italia : origine e significato dei nomi geografici e di tutti i comuni|year= 2009|publisher= Istituto geografico De Agostini|location= Novara|isbn= 978-88-511-1412-1|page= 385}}</ref> However, some scholars believe that ''lanum'' comes from the [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] root ''lan'', meaning an enclosure or demarcated territory (source of the [[Welsh language|Welsh]] word ''[[Llan (placename)|llan]]'', meaning "a sanctuary or church", ultimately cognate to English/German ''Land'') in which Celtic communities used to build shrines.<ref>{{cite book|last= Wise|first= Hilary|title= The vocabulary of modern French origins, structure and function|year= 1997|publisher= Routledge|location= London|isbn= 0-203-42979-6|page= 39}}</ref>

Hence ''Mediolanum'' could signify the central town or sanctuary of a Celtic tribe. Indeed, about sixty Gallo-Roman sites in France bore the name "Mediolanum", for example: [[Saintes, Charente-Maritime|Saintes]] (''[[Mediolanum Santonum]]'') and [[Évreux]] (''[[Mediolanum Aulercorum]]'').<ref>{{cite book|last= Michell|first= John|title= The sacred center: the ancient art of locating sanctuaries|year= 2009|publisher= Inner Traditions|location= Rochester, Vt.|isbn= 978-1-59477-284-9|page= 32}}</ref> In addition, another theory links the name to the ''[[scrofa semilanuta]]'' ("half-woolly sow") an ancient emblem of the city, fancifully accounted for in [[Andrea Alciato]]'s ''Emblemata'' (1584), beneath a woodcut of the first raising of the city walls, where a boar is seen lifted from the excavation, and the etymology of ''Mediolanum'' given as "half-wool",<ref>''medius'' + ''lanum''; Alciato's "etymology" is intentionally far-fetched.</ref> explained in Latin and in French.

According to this theory, the foundation of Milan is credited to two [[Celts|Celtic peoples]], the [[Bituriges Cubi|Bituriges]] and the [[Aedui]], having as their [[emblem]]s a ram and a boar;<ref>''Bituricis vervex, Heduis dat sucula signum.''</ref> therefore "The [[Symbols of Milan|city's symbol]] is a wool-bearing boar, an animal of double form, here with sharp bristles, there with sleek wool."<ref>''Laniger huic signum sus est, animálque biforme, Acribus hinc setis, lanitio inde levi.''</ref> Alciato credits [[Ambrose]] for his account.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.emblems.arts.gla.ac.uk/french/emblem.php?id=FALc002
| title = Alciato, ''Emblemata'', Emblema II
| publisher = Emblems.arts.gla.ac.uk
| access-date = 13 March 2009
| archive-date = 13 January 2012
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120113214852/http://www.emblems.arts.gla.ac.uk/french/emblem.php?id=FALc002
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

== History ==
{{Main|History of Milan}}

{{For timeline}}

=== Celtic era ===
[[File:9754 - Museo archeologico di Milano - Olletta celtica (sec. II-I a.C.) - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 13-mar-2012.jpg|thumb|Celtic finds dating back to the period preceding the Roman conquest (3rd-2nd century BC), which is preserved in the [[Archaeological Museum, Milan|Civic Archaeological Museum of Milan]]]]

Around 590 BC<ref name="cronologia"/> a Celtic tribe belonging to the [[Insubre]]s group and belonging to the [[Golasecca culture]] settled the city under the name Medhelanon.<ref name="Tellier"/><ref name="cronologia"/> According to the legend reported by [[Livy]] (writing between 27 and 9 BC), the [[Gaul]]ish king [[Ambicatus]] sent his nephew [[Bellovesus]] into northern Italy at the head of a party drawn from various Gaulish tribes; Bellovesus allegedly founded the settlement in the times of the Roman monarchy, during the reign of [[Lucius Tarquinius Priscus|Tarquinius Priscus]]. Tarquin is traditionally recorded as reigning from 616 to 579 BC, according to ancient Roman historian Titus Livy.<ref>Livius, ''[[Ab Urbe condita]]'' 5.34–35.3.</ref>

Medhelanon, in particular, was developed around a [[sanctuary]], which was the oldest area of the village.<ref name="Tosi">{{cite book|first=Stefano|last=Tosi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ofosDAAAQBAJ&dq=fossato+celtico+via+moneta+milano&pg=PA27|title=Da Milano alla Barona. Storia, luoghi e persone di questa terra|date=2 May 2016 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-326-64414-7 |access-date=16 July 2018|language=it}}</ref> The sanctuary, which consisted of a wooded area in the shape of an ellipse with a central clearing, was aligned according to precise astronomical points. For this reason, it was used for religious gatherings, especially in particular celebratory moments. The sanctuary of Medhelanon was an ellipse with axes of {{convert|443|m|abbr=on}} and {{convert|323|m|abbr=on}} located near [[Piazza della Scala]].<ref name="Tosi"/> The urban planning profile was based on these early paths, and on the shape of the sanctuary, reached, in some cases, up to the 19th century and even beyond. For example, the route of the modern Corso Vittorio Emanuele, [[Piazza del Duomo, Milan|Piazza del Duomo]], [[Piazza Cordusio]] and Via Broletto, which is curvilinear, could correspond to the south side of the ellipse of the ancient sanctuary of Medhelanon.<ref name="Tosi"/>

One axis of the Medhelanon sanctuary was aligned towards the [[heliacal rising]] of [[Antares]], while the other towards the heliacal rising of [[Capella]]. The latter coincided with a Celtic spring festival celebrated on 24 March, while the heliacal rising of Antares corresponded with 11 November, which opened and closed the Celtic year and which coincided with the point where the Sun rose on the winter [[solstice]].<ref name="Tosi"/> About two centuries after the creation of the Celtic sanctuary, the first residential settlements began to be built around it. Medhelanon then transformed from a simple religious center to an urban and then military centre, thus becoming a real village.<ref name="Tosi"/>

The first homes were built just south of the Celtic sanctuary, near the modern [[Royal Palace of Milan]].<ref name="Tosi"/> Subsequently, with the growth of the town centre, other important buildings for the Medhelanon community were built. First, a temple dedicated to the goddess [[Belisama]] was built, which was located near the modern [[Milan Cathedral]]. Then, near the modern Via Moneta, which is located near today's [[Piazza San Sepolcro]], a fortified building with military functions was built which was surrounded by a defensive moat.<ref name="Tosi"/>

=== Roman times ===
{{Main|Mediolanum}}

[[File:Colonne di san lorenzo 01.jpg|thumb|left|Roman ruins in Milan: the [[Colonne di San Lorenzo|Columns of San Lorenzo]]]]
During the [[Roman Republic]], the Romans, led by consul [[Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus]], fought the [[Insubres]] and captured the settlement in 222 BC. The chief of the Insubres then submitted to Rome, giving the Romans control of the settlement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0234%3Aid%3Db2c34|author=Polybius|title=Histories|access-date=11 July 2024}}</ref> The Romans eventually [[Roman expansion in Italy|conquered the entirety of the region]], calling the new [[Roman province|province]] "[[Cisalpine Gaul]]" ({{langx |la| Gallia Cisalpina}})—"Gaul this side of the Alps"—and may have given the city its Latinized name of Mediolanum: in [[Gaulish]] ''*medio-'' meant "middle, centre" and the name element ''-lanon'' is the Celtic equivalent of Latin ''-planum'' "plain", thus ''*Mediolanon'' (Latinized as ''Mediolānum'') meant "(settlement) in the midst of the plain".<ref name="Quintela"/><ref name="Delamarre 2003 https://archive.org/details/dictionnairedela00dela_348/page/n219 221–222"/> Mediolanum became the most important center of Cisalpine Gaul and, in the wake of economic development, in 49 BC, was elevated, within the ''[[Lex Roscia]]'', to the status of ''[[municipium]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.romanoimpero.com/2010/05/le-colonie-romane.html|title=Le colonie romane|access-date=6 June 2018|language=it}}</ref>
[[File:Ruins-imperial-complex-milan-.jpg|thumb|Ruins of the Emperor's palace in Milan located in Via Gorani. Here [[Constantine the Great|Constantine]] and [[Licinius]] issued the [[Edict of Milan]].]]
[[File:Civico museo archeologico di Milano 1.jpg|thumb|Remains of the [[Walls of Milan#Roman walls|Roman walls of Milan]] located inside the [[Archaeological Museum, Milan|Civic Archaeological Museum of Milan]]]]

The ancient Celtic settlement was, from a [[Topography|topographic]] point of view, superimposed and replaced by the Roman one. The Roman city was then gradually superimposed and replaced by the medieval one. The urban center of Milan has therefore grown constantly and rapidly, until modern times, around the first Celtic nucleus. The original Celtic toponym Medhelanon then changed, as evidenced by a graffiti in Celtic language present on a section of the Roman walls of Milan which dates back to a period following the Roman conquest of the Celtic village, in Mesiolano.<ref name="romanoimpero">{{cite web|url=https://www.romanoimpero.com/2010/07/mediolanum-milano-lombardia.html|title=Mediolanum-Milano|access-date=8 July 2018|language=it}}</ref> In 286, the Roman Emperor [[Diocletian]] moved the capital of the [[Western Roman Empire]] from Rome to Mediolanum.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://milano.corriere.it/foto-gallery/cronaca/16_febbraio_12/antica-mediolanum-rivive-computer-milano-romana-circo-anfiteatro-urbanfile-blog-66026574-d1af-11e5-9819-2c2b53be318b.shtml |title=Video of Roman Milan |access-date=24 November 2018 |archive-date=5 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505073359/http://milano.corriere.it/foto-gallery/cronaca/16_febbraio_12/antica-mediolanum-rivive-computer-milano-romana-circo-anfiteatro-urbanfile-blog-66026574-d1af-11e5-9819-2c2b53be318b.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> Diocletian himself chose to reside at [[Nicomedia]] in the Eastern Empire, leaving his colleague [[Maximian]] at Milan.

During the Augustan age Mediolanum was famous for its schools; it possessed a theatre and an [[Milan amphitheatre|amphitheatre]] (129.5 x 109.3 m), the third largest in [[Roman Italy]] after the [[Colosseum]] in Rome and the vast amphitheatre in [[Capua]].<ref>{{cite journal |first=Herbert W. |last=Benario |title=Amphitheatres of the Roman World |journal=The Classical Journal |volume=76 |issue=3 |year=1981 |pages=255–258 |jstor=3297328 }}</ref> A large stone wall encircled the city in Caesar's time, and later was expanded in the late third century AD, by Maximian. Maximian built several gigantic monuments including the large [[Roman circus|circus]] (470 × 85 metres) and the ''[[thermae]]'' or [[Baths of Hercules]], a large complex of imperial palaces and other services and buildings of which few visible traces remain. Maximian increased the city area to 375 acres by surrounding it with a new, larger stone wall (about 4.5&nbsp;km long) with many 24-sided towers. The monumental area had twin towers; the one included later in the construction of the convent of [[San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore|San Maurizio Maggiore]] remains 16.6 m high.

It was from Mediolanum that the [[Emperor Constantine]] issued what is now known as the [[Edict of Milan]] in AD 313, granting tolerance to all religions within the Empire, thus paving the way for Christianity to become the dominant religion of the Empire. Constantine was in Mediolanum to celebrate the wedding of his sister to the Eastern Emperor, [[Licinius]]. In 402, the [[Visigoths]] besieged the city and the [[Honorius (emperor)|Emperor Honorius]] moved the Imperial residence to [[Ravenna]].<ref>Compare:
{{cite book
 | last1 = Doyle
 | first1 = Chris
 | chapter = The move to Ravenna
 | title = Honorius: The Fight for the Roman West AD 395–423
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=johnDwAAQBAJ
 | series = Roman Imperial Biographies
 | location = Abingdon, Oxfordshire
 | publisher = Routledge
 | date = 2018
 | isbn = 978-1-317-27807-8
 | access-date = 20 January 2019
 | quote = A subject that has often been debated is Honorius' transfer of his court to Ravenna. Consensus holds that this occurred in 402 as a result of Alaric's siege of Milan, although no Honorian-era written primary source attests to this as the year or the reason [...].
 | archive-date = 13 June 2020
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200613065601/https://books.google.com/books?id=johnDwAAQBAJ
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref> In 452, [[Attila]] besieged the city, but the real break with the city's Imperial past came in 539, during the [[Gothic War (535–554)|Gothic War]], when [[Uraias]] (a nephew of [[Vitiges|Witiges]], formerly King of the [[Ostrogothic Kingdom|Italian Ostrogoths]]) carried out attacks in Milan, with losses, according to [[Procopius]], being about 300,000 men. The [[Lombards]] took [[Ticinum]] as their capital in 572 (renaming it ''Papia'' – the modern [[Pavia]]), and left [[Early Middle Ages|early-medieval]] Milan to the governance of its [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milan|archbishops]].

=== Middle Ages ===
{{Main|Lordship of Milan}}

[[File:5903 - Milano - Camillo Boito, Porta Ticinese (1865) -Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto 27-Feb-2007.jpg|thumb|The [[Porta Ticinese (Medieval Gate of Milan)|Medieval Porta Ticinese]] (12th century) is one of the city's three medieval gates that still exist in modern Milan.]]
[[File:Piazza mercanti Milano.JPG|thumb|right|[[Piazza Mercanti]] used to be the heart of the city in the Middle Ages.]]
After the siege of the city by the Visigoths in 402, the imperial residence moved to Ravenna. Attila, King of the [[Huns]], [[Siege of Milan (452)|sacked and devastated the city]] in 452&nbsp;AD. In 539 the [[Ostrogoths]] conquered and destroyed Milan during the Gothic War against [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] Emperor [[Justinian I]]. In the summer of 569 the Lombards (from whom the name of the Italian region [[Lombardy]] derives), conquered Milan, overpowering the small [[Byzantine army|Byzantine garrison]] left for its defence. Some Roman structures remained in use in Milan under Lombard rule.<ref>See the ''[[Laudes Mediolanensis civitatis]]''.</ref> Milan surrendered to [[Charlemagne]] and the [[Franks]] in 774.

The 11th century saw a reaction against the control of the [[Holy Roman Emperor]]s. City-states emerged in northern Italy, an expression of the new political power of the cities and their will to fight against all feudal powers. Milan was no exception. It did not take long, however, for the Italian city-states to begin fighting each other to try to limit neighbouring powers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/tur/en/arteecultura/storia|title=Milan: a history of greatness, from its origins to the twentieth century|website=Portale per il Turismo del Comune di Milano|language=en|access-date=15 May 2017|archive-date=29 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429093826/http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/tur/en/arteecultura/storia|url-status=live}}</ref> The Milanese destroyed Lodi and continuously warred with Pavia, Cremona and Como, who in turn asked [[Frederick I Barbarossa]] for help. In a sally they captured [[Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy|Empress Beatrice]] and forced her to [[Parading on donkey|ride a donkey]] backward through the city until getting out. Frederick I Barbarossa brought the destruction of much of Milan in 1162.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Walford |first1=Edward |author-link1=Edward Walford |first2=John Charles |author-link2=John Charles Cox |last2=Cox |first3=George Latimer |last3=Apperson |year=1885 |title=Digit folklore, part II |journal=The Antiquary |volume=XI |pages=119–123 |url=https://archive.org/stream/antiquary11slsniala#page/118/mode/2up }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Novobatzky |first1=Peter |first2=Ammon |last2=Shea |year=2001 |title=Depraved and Insulting English |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780156011495 |url-access=registration |location=Orlando |publisher=Harcourt |isbn=9780156011495 }}</ref>

A period of peace followed and Milan prospered as a centre of trade due to its geographical position. During this time, the city was considered one of the largest European cities.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Scott|first=Tom|title=The City-State in Europe, 1000–1600: Hinterland, Territory, Region|year=2012|publisher=OUP Oxford|pages=17|isbn=978-0199274604}}</ref> As a result of the independence that the Lombard cities gained in the [[Peace of Constance]] in 1183, Milan returned to the commune form of local government first established in the 11th century.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Lecco |first1=Alberto |last2=Foot |first2=John |title=Milan Italy |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Milan-Italy/Landscape |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. |access-date=4 February 2020 |date=2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=History of Italy |url=http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=2693&HistoryID=ac52&gtrack=pthc |website=HistoryWorld |access-date=4 February 2020 |page=2}}</ref>

In 1395, [[Gian Galeazzo Visconti]] became the first [[List of rulers of Milan|Duke of Milan]] upon receiving the title from [[Wenceslaus, King of the Romans]]. In 1447 [[Filippo Maria Visconti]], Duke of Milan, died without a male heir; following the end of the Visconti line, the [[Golden Ambrosian Republic|Ambrosian Republic]] was established; it took its name from St. Ambrose, the popular patron saint of the city.<ref name="lucas:268">Henry S. Lucas, ''The Renaissance and the Reformation'' p. 268.</ref> Both the Guelph and the Ghibelline factions worked together to bring about the Ambrosian Republic in Milan. Nonetheless, the Republic collapsed when, in 1450, Milan was conquered by [[Francesco I Sforza|Francesco I]] of the [[House of Sforza]], which made Milan one of the leading cities of the Italian [[Renaissance]].<ref name="lucas:268"/><ref name="InternationalStudent">{{cite web|url=http://internationalrelations.unicatt.it/it/international_student/the_history_of_milan |title=The History of Milan – Relazioni Internazionali – Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore |publisher=internationalrelations.unicatt.it |access-date=14 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091108120442/http://internationalrelations.unicatt.it/it/international_student/the_history_of_milan |archive-date= 8 November 2009 }}</ref> Under the House of Sforza, Milan experienced a period of great prosperity, which in particular saw the development of mulberry cultivation and silk processing.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Milan – History|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Milan-Italy|access-date=17 December 2020|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref>

Following this economic growth, works such as the [[Sforza Castle]] (already existing in the Visconti era under the name of Porta Giovia Castle, but re-adapted, enlarged and completed by the Sforza family) and the [[Policlinico of Milan|Ospedale Maggiore]] were completed. The Sforzas also managed to attract to Milan personalities such as [[Leonardo da Vinci]], who redesigned and improved the function of the [[navigli]] and painted ''[[The Last Supper (Leonardo)|The Last Supper]]'', and [[Bramante]], who worked on the [[Santa Maria presso San Satiro|church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro]], on the [[basilica of Sant'Ambrogio]] and to the [[Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan|church of Santa Maria delle Grazie]], influencing the development of the [[Renaissance in Lombardy|Lombard Renaissance]].

=== Early modern ===
{{Main|Duchy of Milan}}

[[File:Milan... - btv1b8459040r.jpg|thumb|Map of Milan as it appeared in 1680, with the [[Walls of Milan#Spanish walls|Spanish walls]] encircling the city.]]
[[Image:1807KingdomItaly.jpg|thumb|Highlighted in yellow, the [[Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)|Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy]], which had Milan as its capital]]
Milan's last independent ruler, [[Lodovico il Moro]], requested the aid of [[Charles VIII of France]] against the other [[Italian states]], eventually unleashing the [[Italian Wars]]. The king's cousin, [[Louis XII|Louis of Orléans]], took part in the expedition and realized most of Italy was virtually defenseless. This prompted him to come back a few years later in 1500, and claim the Duchy of Milan for himself, his grandmother having been a member of the ruling [[Visconti of Milan|Visconti]] family. At that time, Milan was also defended by [[Swiss mercenaries]]. After the victory of Louis's successor François I over the Swiss at the [[Battle of Marignan]], the duchy was promised to the French king [[François I of France|François I]]. When the Spanish Habsburg Emperor [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] defeated François I at the [[Battle of Pavia]] in 1525, [[northern Italy]], which included Milan, passed to [[Hapsburg Spain|Habsburg Spain]].<ref>John Lothrop Motley, ''The Rise of the Dutch Republic'' Vol. II (Harper Bros.: New York, 1855) p. 2.</ref>

In 1556, Charles V abdicated in favour of his son [[Philip II of Spain|Philip II]] and his brother [[Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand I]]. Charles's Italian possessions, including Milan, passed to Philip II and remained with the Spanish line of Habsburgs, while Ferdinand's Austrian line of Habsburgs ruled the Holy Roman Empire. The [[Italian plague of 1629–1631|Great Plague of Milan]] in 1629–31, that claimed the lives of an estimated 60,000 people out of a population of 130,000, caused unprecedented devastation in the city and was effectively described by [[Alessandro Manzoni]] in his masterpiece ''[[The Betrothed]]''. This episode was seen by many as the symbol of Spanish bad rule and decadence and is considered one of the last outbreaks of the centuries-long [[pandemic]] of plague that began with the [[Black Death]].<ref>Cipolla, Carlo M. ''Fighting the Plague in Seventeenth Century Italy''. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1981.</ref>

In 1700, the Spanish line of Habsburgs was extinguished with the death of [[Charles II of Spain|Charles II]]. After his death, the [[War of the Spanish Succession]] began in 1701. In 1706, the French were defeated in [[Battle of Ramillies|Ramillies]] and [[Siege of Turin|Turin]] and were forced to yield northern Italy to the [[Habsburg monarchy|Austrian Habsburgs]]. In 1713–1714 the Treaties of [[Treaty of Utrecht|Utrecht]] and [[Treaty of Rastatt|Rastatt]] formally confirmed Austrian sovereignty over most of Habsburg Spain's Italian possessions including Lombardy and its capital, Milan.

[[Napoleon]] invaded Italy in 1796, and Milan was declared capital of the [[Cisalpine Republic]]. Later, he declared Milan capital of the [[Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)|Kingdom of Italy]] and was crowned King of Italy in the cathedral. After Napoleon's occupation ended, the [[Congress of Vienna]] returned Lombardy and Milan to Austrian control in 1815.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/regno-lombardo-veneto/|title=Lombardo-Veneto, Regno|access-date=29 October 2023|publisher=[[Treccani]]|language=it}}</ref>

=== Late modern and contemporary ===
[[File:Cinque giornate di Milano.jpg|thumb|Popular print depicting the "[[Five Days of Milan]]" (18–22 March 1848) uprising against Austrian rule]]

On 18 March 1848 Milan effectively rebelled against Austrian rule, during the so-called "[[Five Days of Milan|Five Days]]" ({{langx|it|Le Cinque Giornate}}), that forced Field Marshal [[Joseph Radetzky von Radetz|Radetzky]] to temporarily withdraw from the city. The bordering [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Kingdom of Piedmont–Sardinia]] sent troops to protect the insurgents and organised a [[plebiscite]] that ratified by a huge majority the unification of Lombardy with Piedmont–Sardinia. But just a few months later the Austrians were able to send fresh forces that routed the Piedmontese army at the [[Battle of Custoza (1848)|Battle of Custoza]] on 24 July and to reassert Austrian control over northern Italy. About ten years later, however, Italian nationalist politicians, officers and intellectuals such as [[Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour|Cavour]], [[Giuseppe Garibaldi|Garibaldi]] and [[Giuseppe Mazzini|Mazzini]] were able to gather a huge consensus and to pressure the monarchy to forge an alliance with the new [[Second French Empire|French Empire]] of [[Napoleon III]] to defeat Austria and establish a large Italian state in the region. At the [[Battle of Solferino]] in 1859 French and Italian troops heavily defeated the Austrians that retreated under the [[Quadrilatero|Quadrilateral line]].<ref name="Solferino">{{cite web|title=Solferino |author=Graham J. Morris |url=http://www.battlefieldanomalies.com/solferino/08_the_battle.htm |access-date=9 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090630084539/http://www.battlefieldanomalies.com/solferino/08_the_battle.htm |archive-date=30 June 2009}}</ref> Following this battle, Milan and the rest of Lombardy were incorporated into Piedmont-Sardinia, which then proceeded to annex all the other Italian statelets and proclaim the birth of the [[Kingdom of Italy]] on 17 March 1861.

The political [[unification of Italy]] enhanced Milan's economic dominance over northern Italy. A dense rail network, whose construction had started under Austrian patronage, was completed in a brief time, making Milan the rail hub of northern Italy and, with the opening of the [[Gotthard Rail Tunnel|Gotthard]] (1882) and [[Simplon Tunnel|Simplon]] (1906) railway tunnels, the major South European rail hub for goods and passenger transport. Indeed, Milan and Venice were among the main stops of the [[Orient Express]] that started operating from 1919.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lastampa.it/verbano-cusio-ossola/2012/06/15/news/orient-express-quando-tra-londra-e-costantinopoli-c-erano-le-fermate-a-stresa-e-pallanza-1.36470455/#:~:text=Visto%20il%20successo%2C%20nel%201919,il%20simbolo%20della%20Belle%20%C3%89poque|title=Orient Express, quando tra Londra e Costantinopoli c'erano le fermate a Stresa e Pallanza|date=15 June 2012 |access-date=29 October 2023|language=it}}</ref> Abundant hydroelectric resources allowed the development of a strong steel and textile sector and, as Milanese banks dominated Italy's financial sphere, the city became the country's leading financial centre. In May 1898, Milan was shaken by the [[Bava Beccaris massacre]], a riot related to soaring cost of living.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ilpost.it/2018/05/08/bava-beccaris-moti-milano/|title=Le cannonate di Bava Beccaris, 120 anni fa|date=8 May 2018 |access-date=29 October 2023|language=it}}</ref>

[[File:Milano, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (bombardata) 02.jpg|left|thumb|[[Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II]] destroyed by [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] bombings, 1943]]
Milan's northern location in Italy closer to Europe, secured also a leading role for the city on the political scene. It was in Milan that [[Benito Mussolini]] built his political and journalistic careers, and his fascist [[Blackshirts]] rallied for the first time in the city's Piazza San Sepolcro; here the future [[Fascist]] dictator launched his [[March on Rome]] on 28 October 1922. During the [[Second World War]] Milan's large industrial and transport facilities [[Bombing of Milan in World War II|suffered extensive damage from Allied bombings]] that often also hit residential districts.<ref>{{cite book|last=Morgan|first=Philip|title=The fall of Mussolini: Italy, the Italians, and the Second World War|year=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-921934-6|page=67|edition=Reprint.}}</ref> When Italy [[Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces|surrendered]] in 1943, German forces occupied and plundered most of northern Italy, fueling the birth of a massive resistance guerrilla movement.<ref name="Cooke">{{cite book|last=Cooke|first=Philip|title=Italian resistance writing: an anthology|year=1997|publisher=Manchester University Press|location=Manchester|isbn=0-7190-5172-X|page=20}}</ref> On 29 April 1945, the American [[1st Armored Division (United States)|1st Armored Division]] was advancing on Milan but, before it arrived, the Italian resistance seized control of the city and [[Death of Benito Mussolini|executed Mussolini]] along with his mistress and several regime officers, that were later hanged and exposed in [[Piazzale Loreto]], where one year before some resistance members had been executed.

During the post-war economic boom, the reconstruction effort and the [[Italian economic miracle]] attracted a large wave of internal migration (especially from rural areas of [[southern Italy]]) to Milan. The population grew from 1.3&nbsp;million in 1951 to 1.7&nbsp;million in 1967.<ref name="Ginsborg">{{cite book|last= Ginsborg|first= Paul|title= A history of contemporary Italy: society and politics, 1943 – 1988|year= 2003|publisher= Palgrave Macmillan|location= New York|isbn= 1-4039-6153-0|page=220}}</ref> During this period, Milan was rapidly rebuilt, with the construction of several innovative and modernist skyscrapers, such as the [[Torre Velasca]] and the [[Pirelli Tower]], that soon became the symbols of this new era of prosperity.<ref name="Foot">{{Cite book |last=Foot |first=John |title=Milan since the miracle: city, culture, and identity |publisher=Berg |year=2001 |isbn=1-85973-545-2 |location=New York |page=119}}</ref> The economic prosperity was, however, overshadowed in the late 1960s and early 1970s during the so-called [[Years of Lead (Italy)|Years of lead]], when Milan witnessed an unprecedented wave of street violence, [[labour strike]]s and [[political terrorism]]. The apex of this period of turmoil occurred on 12 December 1969, when [[Piazza Fontana bombing|a bomb]] exploded at the National Agrarian Bank in Piazza Fontana, killing 17 people and injuring 88.
[[File:ACTLD Tree Of Life Expo 2015 Italy HR 13.jpg|thumb|[[Expo 2015]], which took place in Milan]]
In the 1980s, with the international success of Milanese houses (like [[Armani]], [[Prada]], [[Versace]], [[Moschino]] and [[Dolce & Gabbana]]), Milan became one of the world's fashion capitals. The city saw also a marked rise in [[international tourism]], notably from America and Japan, while the stock exchange increased its market capitalisation more than five-fold.<ref>{{cite web|title=Italian Stock Exchange – Main indicators 1975–2012|url=http://www.borsaitaliana.it/borsaitaliana/ufficio-stampa/dati-storici/principaliindicatori2012_pdf.htm|access-date=16 October 2012|archive-date=6 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106211102/https://www.borsaitaliana.it/borsaitaliana/ufficio-stampa/dati-storici/principaliindicatori2012_pdf.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> This period led the mass media to nickname the metropolis ''"Milano da bere"'', literally "Milan to be drunk".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lastampa.it/redazione/cmsSezioni/cultura/200804articoli/31497girata.asp |title=L'uomo che inventò la Milano da bere |publisher=Lastampa.It |date=4 January 2008 |access-date=25 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090914065500/http://www.lastampa.it/redazione/cmsSezioni/cultura/200804articoli/31497girata.asp |archive-date=14 September 2009}}</ref> But in the 1990s Milan was badly affected by [[Tangentopoli]], a political scandal in which many politicians and businessmen were tried for corruption. The city was also affected by a severe financial crisis and a steady decline in textiles, automobile and steel production.<ref name="Foot"/> Berlusconi's Milano 2 and Milano 3 projects were the most important housing projects of the 1980s and 1990s in Milan and brought to the city new economical and social energy.

In the early 21st century Milan underwent a series of sweeping redevelopments over huge former industrial areas.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mieg |first1=Harald A. |last2=Overmann |first2=Heike |title=Industrial heritage sites in transformation : clash of discourses |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=New York and London |isbn=978-1-315-79799-1 |page=72}}</ref> Two new business districts, [[Porta Nuova (Milan)|Porta Nuova]] and [[CityLife (Milan)|CityLife]], were built in the space of a decade, radically changing the skyline of the city. Its exhibition centre moved to a much larger site in [[Rho, Lombardy|Rho]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nuovosistemafieramilano.it/JumpCh.asp?idLang=ENG&idUser=0&idChannel=12 |title=New Milan Exhibition System official website |access-date=29 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201091644/http://www.nuovosistemafieramilano.it/JumpCh.asp?idLang=ENG&idUser=0&idChannel=12 |archive-date=1 December 2011}}</ref> The long decline in traditional manufacturing has been overshadowed by a great expansion of publishing, finance, banking, fashion design, information technology, logistics and tourism.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ni|first=Pengfei|title=The global urban competitiveness report 2011|year=2012|publisher=Edward Elgar|location=Cheltenham|isbn=978-0-85793-421-5|page=127}}</ref> The city's decades-long population decline seems to have partially reverted in recent years, as the {{langx|it|comune|links=yes|label=none}} gained about 100,000 new residents since the last census. The successful re-branding of the city as a global capital of innovation has been instrumental in its successful bids for hosting large international events such as [[2015 Expo]] and [[2026 Winter Olympics]].

== Geography ==

=== Topography ===
[[File:Milan by Sentinel-2, 2020-07-25.jpg|thumb|Satellite picture of Milan. The post-WW2 northward [[urban sprawl]] is visible]]
[[File:Naviglio Grande, Milano.jpg|thumb|[[Navigli]], a system of interconnected canals in and around Milan, dating back to the Middle Ages]]

Milan is located in the north-western section of the [[Po Valley]], approximately halfway between the river [[Po (river)|Po]] to the south and the foothills of the [[Alps]] with the great lakes ([[Lake Como]], [[Lake Maggiore]] and [[Lake Lugano]]) to the north, the [[Ticino (river)|Ticino]] river to the west and the [[Adda (river)|Adda]] to the east. The city's land is flat, the highest point being at {{cvt|122|m|2}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]].

The administrative {{langx|it|comune|links=yes|label=none}}, or city proper, covers an area of about {{convert|181|km2}}, with a population, in 2025, of 1,366,155 and a population density of {{convert|7520|PD/km2}}. Milan's continuous urban area extends beyond the city limits. The administrative [[Metropolitan City of Milan]], a special-status [[Provinces of Italy|provincial]] authority, covers {{convert|1575|km2}} and in 2024 had a population estimated at 3,245,459, with a resulting density of {{convert|2067|PD/km2|PD/sqmi}},<ref name="Annuario 2025. I dati dell’area metropolitana di Milano">{{cite web |title=Annuario 2025. I dati dell’area metropolitana di Milano |url=https://www.cittametropolitana.mi.it/export/sites/default/statistica/doc/documenti_2025/Annuario-2025-Statistico.pdf |publisher=[[Istat]] |access-date=29 October 2025 |language=Italian}}</ref> while its wider metropolitan had an estimated population in excess of 6.1 million {{as of| 2025|lc=yes}}.<ref name="CityPopulation.de"/>

The concentric layout of the city centre reflects the ''Navigli'', an ancient system of navigable and interconnected canals, now mostly covered.<ref>{{cite book|last=Raffaele Pugliese, Marco Lucchini|title=Milano città d'acqua: nuovi paesaggi urbani per la tutela dei navigli|year=2009|publisher=Alinea|location=Florence|isbn=978-88-6055-469-7|page=32}}</ref> The suburbs of the city have expanded mainly to the north, swallowing up many {{langx|it|comuni|links=no|label=none}} along the roads towards Varese, Como, Lecco and Bergamo.<ref>{{cite book|last=King|first=Russell|title=The industrial geography of Italy|year=1985|publisher=Croom Helm|location=London|isbn=0-7099-1501-2|pages=250–254}}</ref> In the 21st century the Navigli region of Milan is a highly active area with a large number of residential units, bars and restaurants. It is also a well-known centre for artists.<ref>Italy Green Guide, Michelin, 2012-2013, entry for Navigli, Milan</ref>

=== Climate ===
[[File:Milano Santa Maria delle Grazie ogrod.jpg|thumb|The cloister of [[Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan|Santa Maria delle Grazie]] in the spring of 2010]]
Milan features a mid-latitude, four-season [[humid subtropical climate]] (''Cfa''), according to the [[Köppen climate classification]]. Milan's climate is similar to much of Northern Italy's inland plains, with hot, humid summers and cold, foggy winters. The Alps and [[Apennine Mountains]] form a natural barrier that protects the city from the major circulations coming from northern Europe and the sea.<ref>{{cite web|title=The ENVIBASE-Project – Climate of Milan|url=http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/archiv_sensut/umwelt/uisonline/envibase/handbook/climate3.htm|access-date=14 August 2012|archive-date=28 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190228142756/http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/archiv_sensut/umwelt/uisonline/envibase/handbook/climate3.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

During winter daily average temperatures can fall below freezing ({{cvt|0|C|disp=sqbr}}) and accumulations of snow can occur: the historic average of Milan's area is {{convert|25|cm|0}} in the period between 1961 and 1990, with a record of {{convert|90|cm|0}} in January 1985. In the suburbs the average can reach {{convert|36|cm|0}}.<ref>[http://www.aineva.it/pubblica/neve60/6_fazzini/immagini/fazzini_fig1G.gif] [https://web.archive.org/web/20171029172712/http://www.aineva.it/pubblica/neve60/6_fazzini/immagini/fazzini_fig1G.gif archive]</ref> The city receives on average seven days of snow per year.<ref>{{cite web|title=Weather Overview for Milan|url=http://www.holiday-weather.com/milan/|publisher=Holyday-Weather.com|access-date=14 August 2012|archive-date=29 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529172600/http://www.holiday-weather.com/milan/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The city was often shrouded in thick cloud or fog during winter, although the removal of rice paddies from the southern neighbourhoods and the [[urban heat island]] effect have greatly reduced this occurrence since the turn of the 21st century. Occasionally, the [[Foehn]] winds cause the temperatures to rise unexpectedly: on 22 January 2012 the daily high reached {{cvt|16|C|0}} while on 22 February 2012 it reached {{cvt|21|C|0}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Recorded temperatures, Milan|url=http://www.accuweather.com/en/it/milan/214046/month/214046?monyr=2/01/2012|publisher=Accuweather|access-date=14 August 2012|archive-date=26 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626222115/https://www.accuweather.com/en/it/milan/214046/month/214046?monyr=2%2F01%2F2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Air pollution levels rise significantly in wintertime when [[Thermal inversion|cold air clings to the soil]], causing Milan to be one of Europe's most polluted cities.<ref>{{cite web|title=Smog in Northern Italy|date = 29 December 2005|url=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=15900|publisher=NASA|access-date=14 August 2012|archive-date=11 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611140852/https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/15900/smog-in-northern-italy|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=18 June 2021 |title=Italy's northern cities rated among the worst in Europe for air pollution |url=https://www.thelocal.it/20210618/italys-northern-cities-among-the-worst-in-europe-for-air-pollution/ |access-date=1 April 2022 |website=The Local Italy |language=en-US |archive-date=26 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526230113/https://www.thelocal.it/20210618/italys-northern-cities-among-the-worst-in-europe-for-air-pollution/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Precipitation in Milan from 1940 to 2023.jpg|thumb|left|Total monthly precipitation in Milan from 1940 to 2023. Data from open-meteo.com]]
Summers in Milan are hot and humidity levels are high with peak temperatures reaching above {{cvt|35|C}}. Due to the high humidity, urban heat effect and lack of wind, nighttimes often remain muggy during the summer months.<ref>{{cite web|title=Historical temperatures, Milan|url=http://www.accuweather.com/en/it/milan/214046/month/214046?monyr=7/01/2012|publisher=Accuweather|access-date=14 August 2012|archive-date=30 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830174144/https://www.accuweather.com/en/it/milan/214046/month/214046?monyr=7%2F01%2F2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Usually the summer enjoys clearer skies with an average of more than 13 hours of daylight:<ref name="WeatherSpark">{{cite web|title=Average weather in Milan|url=http://weatherspark.com/averages/32256/Milan-Lombardia-Italy|publisher=WeatherSpark|access-date=14 August 2012|archive-date=2 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402012356/https://weatherspark.com/averages/32256/milan-lombardia-italy|url-status=live}}</ref> when precipitation occurs though, it is more likely to be accompanied by thunderstorms and [[hail]].<ref name="WeatherSpark"/> Springs and autumns are generally pleasant, with temperatures ranging between {{cvt|10|and|20|C|0}}; these seasons are characterized by higher rainfall, especially in April and May.<ref>{{cite web|title=Average monthly precipitation over the year (rainfall, snow)|url=http://www.weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Rainfall-Temperature-Sunshine,Milan,Italy|publisher=World weather and climate information|access-date=14 August 2012|archive-date=30 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830142332/https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Rainfall-Temperature-Sunshine,Milan,Italy|url-status=live}}</ref> Relative humidity typically ranges between 45% (comfortable) and 95% (very humid) throughout the year, rarely dropping below 27% (dry) and reaching as high as 100%.<ref name="WeatherSpark"/> Wind is generally absent: over the course of the year typical wind speeds vary from {{cvt|0|to|9|mph|kph|0|order=flip}} (calm to gentle breeze), rarely exceeding {{cvt|18|mph|kph|0|order=flip}} (fresh breeze), except during summer thunderstorms when winds can blow strong. In the spring, gale-force windstorms may happen, generated either by [[Tramontane]] blowing from the Alps or by [[Bora (wind)|Bora]]-like winds from the north. Due to its geographic location surrounded by mountains on 3 sides, Milan is among the least windy cities in Europe.<ref name="WeatherSpark"/>

{{Milan weatherbox}}

== Administration ==

=== Municipal government ===
{{See also|Mayor of Milan|City Council of Milan|Elections in Milan|Boroughs of Milan}}
[[File:Milano - Palazzo Marino.JPG|thumb|[[Palazzo Marino]], Milan City Hall]]
[[File:Piazza Gae Aulenti with Palazzo Lombardia.jpg|thumb|[[Palazzo Lombardia]], headquarters of the regional government of Lombardy]]
[[File:Milan, administrative divisions - Nmbrs - colored.svg|thumb|The city's nine ''municipi'' ("boroughs")]]

The legislative body of the Italian {{langx|it|comuni|links=no|label=none}} is the [[City Council of Milan|City Council]] (''Consiglio Comunale''), which in cities with more than one million population is composed by 48 councillors elected every five years with a proportional system, at the same time of the mayoral elections. The executive body is the City Committee (''Giunta Comunale''), composed by 12 [[Assessor (Italy)|assessors]], that is nominated and presided over by a directly elected [[Mayor of Milan|Mayor]]. The current mayor of Milan is [[Giuseppe Sala (politician)|Giuseppe Sala]], an independent leading a centre-left alliance led by the [[Democratic Party (Italy)|Democratic Party]].

The municipality of Milan is subdivided into nine administrative Borough Councils (''Consigli di Municipio''), down from the former twenty districts before the 1999 administrative reform.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Borough Councils of Milan|url=http://www.comune.milano.it/portale/wps/portal/CDM?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/ContentLibrary/In%20Comune/In%20Comune/I%20Consigli%20di%20Zona|publisher=Municipality of Milan|access-date=18 October 2012|archive-date=18 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418043458/http://www.comune.milano.it/portale/wps/portal/CDM?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=%2Fwps%2Fwcm%2Fconnect%2FContentLibrary%2FIn%20Comune%2FIn%20Comune%2FI%20Consigli%20di%20Zona|url-status=live}}</ref> Each Borough Council is governed by a Council (''Consiglio'') and a President, elected contextually to the city Mayor. The urban organisation is governed by the Italian Constitution (art. 114), the Municipal Statute<ref>{{cite web|title=The Municipal Statute of Milan|url=http://www.comune.milano.it/portale/wps/portal/CDM?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/contentlibrary/In+Comune/In+Comune/Normativa/|publisher=Municipality of Milan|access-date=18 October 2012|archive-date=16 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316102931/http://comune.milano.it/portale/wps/portal/CDM?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=%2Fwps%2Fwcm%2Fconnect%2Fcontentlibrary%2FIn+Comune%2FIn+Comune%2FNormativa%2F|url-status=live}}</ref> and several laws, notably the Legislative Decree 267/2000 or Unified Text on Local Administration (''Testo Unico degli Enti Locali'').<ref>{{cite web|title=Local self-government authority system under the Italian legislation|url=http://www1.interno.gov.it/mininterno/export/sites/default/en/themes/state-local_authority_relations/Local_self-government_authority_system.html|publisher=Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs|access-date=18 October 2012|archive-date=18 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218095839/http://www1.interno.gov.it/mininterno/export/sites/default/en/themes/state-local_authority_relations/Local_self-government_authority_system.html|url-status=live}}</ref> After the 2016 administrative reform, the Borough Councils have the power to advise the Mayor with nonbinding opinions on a large spectrum of topics and are responsible for running most local services, such as schools, social services, waste collection, roads, parks, libraries and local commerce; in addition they are supplied with an autonomous funding to finance local activities.

=== Metropolitan city ===
[[File:Milano - palazzo Isimbardi - facciata.jpg|thumb|right|[[Palazzo Isimbardi]] is the seat of the Council of the [[Metropolitan City of Milan]].]]

Milan is the capital of the eponymous Metropolitan city. According to the last governmental dispositions concerning administrative reorganisation, the urban area of Milan is one of the 15 [[Metropolitan cities of Italy|Metropolitan municipalities]] (''città metropolitane''), new administrative bodies fully operative since 1 January 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Spending Review Act |url=http://www.governo.it/Presidenza/Comunicati/dettaglio.asp?d=68656 |publisher=Italian Government |access-date=18 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120714005846/http://www.governo.it/Presidenza/Comunicati/dettaglio.asp?d=68656 |archive-date=14 July 2012}}</ref> The new Metro municipalities, giving large urban areas the administrative powers of a province, are conceived for improving the performance of local administrations and to slash local spending by better co-ordinating the municipalities in providing basic services (including transport, school and social programs) and environment protection.<ref name="Ferri">{{Cite web |url=https://unseendestination.com/europe/15-best-places-visit-italy/ |title=Metropolitan cities in Italy |access-date=26 May 2020 |archive-date=31 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531175306/https://unseendestination.com/europe/15-best-places-visit-italy/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref> In this policy framework, the Mayor of Milan is designated to exercise the functions of Metropolitan mayor (''Sindaco metropolitano''), presiding over a Metropolitan Council formed by 24 mayors of municipalities within the Metro municipality. The Metropolitan City of Milan is headed by the Metropolitan Mayor (''Sindaco metropolitano'') and by the Metropolitan Council (''Consiglio metropolitano''). Since 21 June 2016, Giuseppe Sala, as mayor of the capital city, has been the mayor of the Metropolitan City.

=== Regional government ===
Milan is also the capital of Lombardy, one of the twenty [[Regions of Italy|regions]] of Italy. Lombardy is by far the most populated region of Italy, with more than ten million inhabitants, almost one sixth of the national total. It is governed by a Regional Council, composed of 80 members elected for a five-year term. On 26 March 2018, a list of candidates of the [[Centre-right coalition (Italy)|centre-right coalition]], a coalition of centrist and right-wing parties, led by Attilio Fontana, largely won the regional election, defeating a coalition of socialists, liberals and ecologists and a third-party candidate from the populist [[Five Stars Movement]]. The conservatives have governed the region almost uninterruptedly since 1970. The regional council has 48 members from the centre-right coalition, 18 from the [[Centre-left coalition (Italy)|centre-left coalition]] and 13 from the Five Star Movement. The seat of the regional government is [[Palazzo Lombardia]] that, standing at {{convert|161.3|m|abbr=off}},<ref>{{cite web|title=Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat|url=http://www.ctbuh.org/Awards/AllPastWinners/12_PalazzoLombardia/tabid/3360/language/en-GB/Default.aspx|access-date=18 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027145405/http://ctbuh.org/Awards/AllPastWinners/12_PalazzoLombardia/tabid/3360/language/en-GB/Default.aspx|archive-date=27 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> is the fifth-tallest building in Milan.

== Cityscape ==

=== Skyline ===
{{Wide image|Wide angle Milan skyline from Duomo roof.jpg|600px|A wide view of the Milan skyline, with accompanying cityscape, from the roof of the [[Milan Cathedral]]|align-cap=center}}

=== Architecture ===
{{main|History of architecture and art in Milan}}

{{See also|List of buildings in Milan|Villas and palaces in Milan}}
[[File:Milan Cathedral from Piazza del Duomo.jpg|thumb|[[Milan Cathedral]] is the largest church in the Italian Republic—the larger [[St. Peter's Basilica]] is in the [[State of Vatican City]], a sovereign state—and the [[List of largest churches|third largest in the world]].<ref name="ReferenceA">See [[List of largest church buildings in the world]].</ref>]]
[[File:Castello Sforzesco da alto.jpg|thumb|[[Sforza Castle]] (Castello Sforzesco), a historic medieval fortress]]
[[File:San Carlo al Corso (Milano) 2022.jpg|thumb|[[San Carlo al Corso (Milan)|San Carlo al Corso]] is a fine example of [[Neoclassical style]], inspired by the Roman Pantheon.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lupi |first1=Livia |title=This Day in History: March 23 |url=https://www.italianartsociety.org/2017/03/architect-carlo-amati-died-in-milan-on-23-march-1852/ |publisher=The Italian Art Society |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref>]]
[[File:Milano, villa reale, prospetto sul parco.jpg|thumb|[[Royal Villa of Milan]], one of the finest examples of [[Neoclassical architecture]] in Lombardy]]
[[File:Milan, Italy - panoramio (5).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Porta Sempione|Arch of the Peace]], dating back to the 19th century, although its origins can be traced back to a gate of the [[Walls of Milan#Roman walls|Roman walls]] of Milan]]
[[File:20161207 Palazzo Castiglioni.jpg|thumb|[[Palazzo Castiglioni (Milan)|Palazzo Castiglioni]], designed in the [[Liberty style]]]]

The [[History of architecture and art in Milan|architectural and artistic presence in Milan]] represents one of the attractions of the Lombard capital. Milan has been among the most important Italian centers in the [[history of architecture]], has made important contributions to the development of art history, and has been the cradle of a number of [[modern art]] movements.

There are only few remains of the ancient Roman city, notably the well-preserved [[Colonne di San Lorenzo]]. During the second half of the 4th century, Saint Ambrose, as bishop of Milan, had a strong influence on the layout of the city, reshaping the centre (although the cathedral and baptistery built in Roman times are now lost) and building the great basilicas at the city gates: Sant'Ambrogio, [[San Nazaro in Brolo]], [[Basilica of San Simpliciano|San Simpliciano]] and [[Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio|Sant'Eustorgio]], which still stand, refurbished over the centuries, as some of the finest and most important churches in Milan. [[Duomo di Milano|Milan's Cathedral]], built between 1386 and 1877, is the largest church in the Italian Republic—the larger [[St. Peter's Basilica]] is in the [[State of Vatican City]], a sovereign state—and the [[List of largest churches|third largest in the world]],<ref name="ReferenceA"/> as well as the most important example of [[Gothic architecture]] in Italy. The gilt bronze statue of the [[Madonnina (statue)|Virgin Mary]], placed in 1774 on the highest pinnacle of the Duomo, soon became one of the most enduring symbols of Milan.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Sharon|title=A perfect trip to Italy in the golden years.|year=2011|publisher=iUniverse Inc.|location=Bloomington, IN|isbn=978-1-4502-8443-1|page=93}}</ref>

In the 15th century, when the Sforza ruled the city, an old Viscontean fortress was enlarged and embellished to become the Castello Sforzesco, the seat of an elegant Renaissance court surrounded by a walled hunting park. Notable architects involved in the project included the [[Florence|Florentine]] [[Filarete]], who was commissioned to build the high central entrance tower, and the military specialist Bartolomeo Gadio.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.milanocastello.it/ing/lungaRicostruito.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030830184307/http://www.milanocastello.it/ing/lungaRicostruito.html |archive-date=30 August 2003 |title=The Castle Reconstructed by the Sforza |website=Castello Sforzesco website}}</ref> The alliance between Francesco Sforza and Florence's [[Cosimo de' Medici]] bore to Milan Tuscan models of Renaissance architecture, apparent in the [[Ospedale Maggiore]] and Bramante's work in the city, which includes Santa Maria presso San Satiro (a reconstruction of a small 9th-century church), the tribune of [[Santa Maria delle Grazie (Milan)|Santa Maria delle Grazie]] and three cloisters for Sant'Ambrogio.<ref name="murray"/> The [[Counter-Reformation]] in the 16th to 17th centuries was also the period of [[Spanish Empire|Spanish domination]] and was marked by two powerful figures: [[Charles Borromeo|Saint Charles Borromeo]] and his cousin, [[Federico Borromeo|Cardinal Federico Borromeo]]. Not only did they impose themselves as moral guides to the people of Milan, but they also gave a great impulse to culture, with the creation of the [[Biblioteca Ambrosiana]], in a building designed by [[Francesco Maria Richini]], and the nearby Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. Many notable churches and Baroque mansions were built in the city during this period by the architects, [[Pellegrino Tibaldi]], [[Galeazzo Alessi]] and Richini himself.<ref name="Wittkower"/>

Empress [[Maria Theresa of Austria]] was responsible for the significant renovations carried out in Milan during the 18th century.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Reill|editor-first=Peter Hanns|last=Wilson|first=Ellen Judy|title=Encyclopedia of the enlightenment|year=2004|publisher=Facts on File|location=New York, NY|isbn=0-8160-5335-9|page=392|edition=Rev.}}</ref> This urban and artistic renewal included the establishment of [[La Scala|Teatro alla Scala]], inaugurated in 1778, and the renovation of the Royal Palace. The late 1700s [[Palazzo Belgioioso]] by [[Giuseppe Piermarini]] and [[Royal Villa of Milan]] by [[Leopoldo Pollack]], later the official residence of Austrian viceroys, are often regarded among the best examples of [[Neoclassical architecture]] in Lombardy.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mazzocca|first=Fernando|title=La Galleria d'Arte Moderna e la Villa Reale di Milano|year=2007|publisher=Silvana|location=Cinisello Balsamo (Milano)|isbn=978-88-366-1003-7|page=21}}</ref> The [[First French Empire|Napoleonic]] rule of the city in 1805–1814, having established Milan as the capital of a satellite Kingdom of Italy, took steps to reshape it accordingly to its new status, with the construction of large boulevards, new squares ([[Porta Ticinese]] by [[Luigi Cagnola]] and Foro Bonaparte by [[Giovanni Antonio Antolini]]) and cultural institutions ([[Pinacoteca di Brera|Art Gallery]] and the [[Brera Academy|Academy of Fine Arts]]).<ref>{{cite book|last=De Finetti|first=Giuseppe|title=Milano : costruzione di una città|year=2002|publisher=U. Hoepli|location=Milano|isbn=88-203-3092-X|page=324}}</ref> The massive [[Arch of Peace]], situated at the bottom of Corso Sempione, is often compared to the [[Arc de Triomphe]] in Paris. In the second half of the 19th century, Milan quickly became the main industrial centre of the new Italian nation, drawing inspiration from the great European capitals that were hubs of the [[Second Industrial Revolution]]. The great [[Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II]], realised by [[Giuseppe Mengoni]] between 1865 and 1877 to celebrate [[Victor Emmanuel II of Italy|Vittorio Emanuele II]], is a covered passage with a glass and cast iron roof, inspired by the [[Burlington Arcade]] in London. Several other arcades such as the [[Galleria del Corso]], built between 1923 and 1931, complement it. Another late-19th-century eclectic monument in the city is the [[Cimitero Monumentale]] graveyard, built in a [[Romanesque Revival architecture|Neo-Romanesque]] style between 1863 and 1866.

The tumultuous period of early 20th century brought several, radical innovations in Milanese architecture. [[Art Nouveau]], also known as ''[[Liberty style|Liberty]]'' in Italy, is recognisable in [[Palazzo Castiglioni (Milan)|Palazzo Castiglioni]], built by architect [[Giuseppe Sommaruga]] between 1901 and 1903.<ref name="ReferenceC"/> Other examples include Hotel Corso,<ref name="ReferenceC"/> [[Casa Guazzoni]] with its wrought iron and staircase, and Berri-Meregalli house, the latter built in a traditional Milanese Art Nouveau style combined with elements of neo-Romanesque and Gothic revival architecture, regarded as one of the last such types of architecture in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.100milano.com/liberty/191.html |title=Verso Una Conclusione: Casa Berri Meregalli |publisher=100milano.com |access-date=10 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424052448/http://www.100milano.com/liberty/191.html |archive-date=24 April 2012}}</ref> A new, more eclectic form of architecture can be seen in buildings such as Castello Cova, built the 1910s in a distinctly neo-medieval style, evoking the architectural trends of the past.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.info2015expo.it/index.php?/archives/826-Castello-Cova.html |title=Castello Cova – info2015expo |publisher=Info2015expo.it |access-date=10 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424225206/http://www.info2015expo.it/index.php?%2Farchives%2F826-Castello-Cova.html |archive-date=24 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> An important example of [[Art Deco]], which blended such styles with [[Fascist architecture]], is the huge [[Milano Centrale|Central railway station]] inaugurated in 1931.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ICYUKYHQ_cC&q=milan+railway+station+1931&pg=PA119|title=DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Milan & the Lakes|last=Birmingham|first=Brenda|publisher=Dorling Kindersley Limited|year=2011|isbn=978-1-4053-6747-9|location=London|language=en|oclc=828734755|access-date=17 November 2020|archive-date=29 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529132107/https://books.google.com/books?id=-ICYUKYHQ_cC&q=milan+railway+station+1931&pg=PA119|url-status=live}}</ref>

The post-World War II period saw rapid reconstruction and fast economic growth, accompanied by a nearly two-fold increase in population. In the 1950s and 1960s, a strong demand for new residential and commercial areas drove to extreme urban expansion, that has produced some of the major milestones in the city's architectural history, including [[Giò Ponti|Gio Ponti]]'s Pirelli Tower (1956–60), Velasca Tower (1956–58), and the creation of brand new residential satellite towns, as well as huge amounts of low-quality public housings. In recent years, de-industrialization, [[urban decay]] and gentrification led to a vast urban renewal of former industrial areas, that have been transformed into modern residential and financial districts, notably Porta Nuova in downtown Milan and [[FieraMilano]] in the suburb of [[Rho (Italy)|Rho]]. In addition, the old exhibition area is being completely reshaped according to the Citylife regeneration project, featuring residencial areas, museums, an urban park and three skyscrapers designed by international architects, and after whom they are named: the {{convert|202|m|adj=mid|abbr=off}} [[Isozaki Arata]]—when completed, the tallest building in Italy,<ref name="Isozaki Tower Citylife"/> the twisted [[Zaha Hadid|Hadid Tower]],<ref name="Hadid Tower Citylife"/> and the curved [[Daniel Libeskind|Libeskind Tower]].<ref name="Liebskind Tower Citylife"/>

Two business districts dominate Milan's skyline: ''Porta Nuova'' in the north-east (boroughs No. 9 and 2) and ''CityLife'' (borough No. 8) in the north-west part of the commune. The [[List of tallest buildings in Milan|tallest buildings]] include the [[Unicredit Tower]] at 231 m (though only 162 m without the spire), and the 209 m [[Allianz Tower]], a 50-story tower.

=== Parks and gardens ===
[[File:Laghetto nel Parco Sempione con tartarughe, sullo sfondo il Castello Sforzesco.jpg|thumb|[[Parco Sempione|Sempione Park]]]]
[[File:Giardini pubblici Indro Montanelli.jpg|thumb|[[Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli|Montanelli Gardens]]]]
[[File:Brera Botanical Garden - 4.jpg|thumb|[[Orto Botanico di Brera]]]]
The largest parks in the central area of Milan are [[Parco Sempione|Sempione Park]], at the north-western edge, and [[Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli|Montanelli Gardens]], situated north-east of the city. English-style Sempione Park, built in 1890, contains the [[Arena Civica|Civic Arena]], the [[Civic Aquarium of Milan]] (which is the third oldest aquarium in [[Europe]]<ref>{{cite web |title=La nostra storia |url=http://www.acquariocivicomilano.eu/cms/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dcategory%26sectionid%3D35%26id%3D54%26Itemid%3D218 |access-date=August 16, 2018 |trans-title=Our History |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120214520/http://www.acquariocivicomilano.eu/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=35&id=54&Itemid=218 |language=Italian |publisher=City of Milan |archive-date=January 20, 2015}}</ref>), a steel lattice panoramic tower, an art exhibition centre, a Japanese garden and a public library.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sempione Park|url=http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=en/SITur/HOME/milanodintorni/parchigiardini/loc2197|access-date=13 June 2013|archive-date=10 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410230306/http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=en%2FSITur%2FHOME%2Fmilanodintorni%2Fparchigiardini%2Floc2197|url-status=live}}</ref> The Montanelli gardens, created in the 18th century, hosts the [[Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano|Natural History Museum of Milan]] and a [[Planetario di Milano|planetarium]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Indro Montanelli Gardens|url=http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=en/situr/home/milanodintorni/parchigiardini/loc10|access-date=13 June 2013|archive-date=8 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508053103/http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=en%2Fsitur%2Fhome%2Fmilanodintorni%2Fparchigiardini%2Floc10|url-status=live}}</ref> Slightly away from the city centre, heading east, Forlanini Park is characterised by a large pond and a few preserved shacks which remind of the area's agricultural past.<ref>{{cite web|title=Forlanini Park|url=http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=en/situr/home/milanodintorni/parchigiardini/loc26|access-date=13 June 2013|archive-date=10 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410223819/http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=en%2Fsitur%2Fhome%2Fmilanodintorni%2Fparchigiardini%2Floc26|url-status=live}}</ref> In recent years Milan's authorities pledged to develop its green areas: they planned to create twenty new urban parks and extend the already existing ones, and announced plans to plant three million trees by 2030.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024|reason=This was previously supported by a generally unreliable source}}

Also notable is [[Monte Stella (Milan)|Monte Stella]] ("Starmount"), also informally called Montagnetta di San Siro ("Little mountain of San Siro"), an artificial hill and surrounding city park in Milan. The hill was created using the debris from the buildings that were bombed during [[World War II]], as well as from the last remnants of the [[Walls of Milan|Spanish walls]] of the city, demolished in the mid 20th century. Even at only {{convert|25|m|abbr=on}} height, the hill provides a panoramic view of the city and hinterland, and in a clear day, the Alps and Apennines can be distinguished from atop. A notable area of the park is called "Giardino dei Giusti" (Garden of the Just), which is a memorial to distinguished opponents of genocide and crimes against humanity; each tree in the garden is dedicated to one such person. Notable people who have been dedicated a tree in the Giardino dei Giusti include [[Moshe Bejski]], [[Andrej Sakharov]], [[Svetlana Broz]], and [[Pietro Kuciukian]].

The [[Orto Botanico di Brera]] a [[botanical garden]] located behind [[Palazzo Brera]] at Via Brera 28 in the center of Milan, is another major park in the city. The garden consists primarily of rectangular flower-beds, trimmed in brick, with elliptical ponds from the 18th century, and specula and [[greenhouse]] from the 19th century (now used by the Academy of Fine Arts). It contains one of the oldest ''[[Ginkgo biloba]]'' trees in Europe, as well as mature specimens of ''[[Firmiana platanifolia]]'', ''[[Juglans nigra]]'', ''[[Pterocarya fraxinifolia]]'', and ''[[Tilia]]''.

In addition, even though Milan is located in one of the most urbanised regions of Italy, it is surrounded by a belt of green areas and features numerous gardens even in its very centre. The farmlands and woodlands north (Parco Nord Milano since 1975) and south ([[Parco Agricolo Sud Milano]] since 1990) of the urban area have been protected as regional parks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://parconord.milano.it/scopri-il-parco/la-storia-del-parco/|title=La storia del Parco|date=18 October 2019 |access-date=29 October 2023|language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cittametropolitana.mi.it/parco_agricolo_sud_milano/#:~:text=Il%20Parco%20Agricolo%20Sud%20Milano,un%20totale%20di%2047.000%20ettari.|title=Parco Agricolo Sud Milano|access-date=29 October 2023|language=it}}</ref> West of the city, the Parco delle Cave (Sand pit park) has been established on a neglected site where gravel and sand used to be extracted, featuring artificial lakes and woods.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parcodellecave.it/index.php/informazioni-mainmenu/informazioni-parco/storia-del-parco|title=Parco delle Cave|access-date=29 October 2023|language=it}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
{{Historical populations|1861|267618|1871|290514|1881|354041|1901|538478|1911|701401|1921|818148|1931|960660|1936|1115768|1951|1274187|1961|1582474|1971|1732068|1981|1604844|1991|1369295|2001|1256211|2011|1242123|2021|1349930|cols=1|align=right|source=[[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Popolazione residente e presente dei comuni. Censimenti dal 1861 al 1971|trans-title=Resident and present population of the municipalities. Censuses from 1861 to 1971|url=https://ebiblio.istat.it/digibib/Censimenti%20popolazione/Censimentipopolazioneresidentedal1861/PUV0027177Pop_res_pres_cens_1861_1971_Tomo1.pdf|date=1971-10-24|lang=it|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Dashboard Permanent census of population and housing|url=https://esploradati.censimentopopolazione.istat.it/databrowser/#/en/censtest/dashboards|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]}}</ref>}}
{{As of|2025}}, 1,366,155 people live in Milan's city proper, while 3,247,623 people live in the province-level municipality. The population of Milan today is lower than its historical peak. With rapid industrialization in post-war years, the population of Milan peaked at 1,743,427 in 1973.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Malfreda|first1=Germano|last2=Pizzorni|first2=Geoffry John|last3=Ricciardi|first3=Ferruccio|last4=Romano|first4=Roberto|title=Lavoro e società nella Milano del Novecento|date=2006|publisher=Angeli|location=Milano|isbn=978-88-464-8031-6|page=331}}</ref> Thereafter, during the following decades, about one third of the population moved to the outer belt of suburbs and new satellite settlements that grew around the city proper.

Today, Milan's conurbation extends well beyond the borders of the city proper and of its special-status provincial authority: its contiguous built-up urban area was home to 5.27 million people in 2015,<ref name=Demographia>[http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf Demographia: World Urban Areas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503021711/http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf |date=3 May 2018 }}. Retrieved 6 September 2015.</ref> while its wider [[Milan metropolitan area|metropolitan area]], the largest in Italy and fourth largest in the EU, is estimated to have a population in excess of 6.1 million as of 2025.<ref name="CityPopulation.de"/>

=== Foreign residents ===
{{Pie chart
| thumb = left
| caption = Nationality held by residents {{as of|2023|lc=yes}}<ref name="municipalitystat02">{{cite web |title=Popolazione straniera residente nel Comune di Milano al 01/01/2021 per sesso e nazionalità |url=https://www.tuttitalia.it/lombardia/18-milano/statistiche/cittadini-stranieri-2021/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810084711/https://www.tuttitalia.it/lombardia/18-milano/statistiche/cittadini-stranieri-2021/ |archive-date=10 August 2022 |access-date=25 March 2022}}</ref>
| label1 = Italian
| value1 = 78.76
| color1 = #003399
| label2 = EU area
| value2 = 2.43
| color2 = #4080bf
| label3 = Other European
| value3 = 1.94
| color3 = #ff471a
| label4 = African
| value4 = 4.78
| color4 = #ffff00
| label5 = Asian
| value5 = 8.74
| color5 = #66ff33
| label6 = Latin American
| value6 = 3.20
| color6 = #ac00e6
| label7 = Other
| value7 = 0.15
| color7 = #ffa31a
}}

{| class="wikitable floatright mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ Foreign nationality population {{as of|2024|01|01|lc=yes}}
|-
! scope="col" | Country of foreign nationality
! scope="col" | Population
|-
| {{flag|Egypt}} || 42,023
|-
| {{flag|Philippines}} || 35,906
|-
| {{flag|China}} || 33,465
|-
| {{flag|Peru}} || 15,884
|-
| {{flag|Sri Lanka}} || 15,076
|-
| {{flag|Romania}} || 13,543
|-
| {{flag|Bangladesh}} || 12,151
|-
| {{flag|Ukraine}} || 8,766
|-
| {{Flag|Morocco}}|| 7,789
|-
| {{flag|Ecuador}}|| 7,781
|-
| {{flag|El Salvador}} || 6,169
|-
| {{flag|Albania}} || 4,515
|-
| {{flag|France}} || 4,048
|-
| {{Flag|Russia}}|| 2,964
|-
| {{Flag|Iran}}|| 2,814
|-
| {{Flag|Pakistan}}|| 2,812
|-
| {{Flag|Brazil}}|| 2,789
|-
| {{Flag|Spain}}|| 2,637
|-
| {{flag|Senegal}} || 2,576
|-
|{{flag|India}}
|1,986
|-
| {{Flag|Georgia}}|| 1,944
|-
| {{Flag|Germany}}|| 1,874
|-
| {{flag|Moldova}} || 1,863
|-
| {{Flag|United Kingdom}}|| 1,800
|-
| {{flag|Bolivia}} || 1,771
|-
| {{Flag|Tunisia}}|| 1,672
|-
| {{Flag|Japan}}|| 1,483
|-
| {{Flag|United States}}|| 1,318
|-
| {{Flag|Colombia}}|| 1,315
|-
| {{flag|Bulgaria}} || 1,244
|-
| {{Flag|Poland}}|| 1,054
|-
| {{Flag|Nigeria}}|| 1,011
|-
| other countries || each <1000
|}

{{As of|2024}}, some 269,397 foreign residents lived in the municipality of Milan, representing 19.6% of the total resident population.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Popolazione straniera residente nel Comune di Milano al 31/12/2023 per sesso e nazionalità |url=https://www.comune.milano.it/documents/20126/2313917/stranieri_naz_sex_municipi_2023_e_tot.pdf/236df8e6-0808-86fe-212a-554af779fdac?t=1707307256112}}</ref> These figures suggest that the immigrant population has more than doubled in the last 15 years.<ref name="municipalitystat03">{{cite web|title=Popolazione anagrafica straniera residente nel Comune di Milano Anno Sesso Totale in serie storica dal 1999 al 2016|url=http://mediagallery.comune.milano.it/cdm/objects/changeme:75142/datastreams/dataStream8702777322655070/content?pgpath=/SA_SiteContent/SEGUI_AMMINISTRAZIONE/DATI_STATISTICI/Popolazione_residente_a_Milano|publisher=Municipality of Milan|access-date=3 November 2017|archive-date=7 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107022512/http://mediagallery.comune.milano.it/cdm/objects/changeme:75142/datastreams/dataStream8702777322655070/content?pgpath=%2FSA_SiteContent%2FSEGUI_AMMINISTRAZIONE%2FDATI_STATISTICI%2FPopolazione_residente_a_Milano|url-status=live}}</ref>

After World War II, Milan experienced two main waves of immigration: the first, dating from the 1950s to the early 1970s, saw a large influx of migrants from poorer and rural areas within Italy; the second, starting from the late 1980s, has been characterized by the preponderance of foreign-born immigrants.<ref>{{cite web|last=Foot|first=John|title=Mapping Diversity in Milan. Using the administrative division of the Milanese territory in the functional areas some important aspects of the spatial distribution of demographic phenomena can be captured. As well as the aggregated data on the stocks, the individual information (also geographically referenced) by the population register are considered for this purpose. The stocks at the 1st on January of the years from 2005 to 2009 are available. The totals for individuals and family are consistent with the totals published by ISTAT (National Institute of Statistics) by means of appropriate scaling coefficients, since some differences can occur between the two sources. Historical Approaches to Urban Immigration|url=http://www.feem.it/userfiles/attach/Publication/NDL2006/NDL2006-110.pdf|publisher=Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei|access-date=23 July 2016|archive-date=20 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820024558/http://www.feem.it/userfiles/attach/Publication/NDL2006/NDL2006-110.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

The early period coincided with the so-called Italian economic miracle of postwar years, an era of extraordinary growth based on rapid industrial expansion and great public works, that brought to the city a large influx of over 400,000 people, mainly from rural and underdeveloped Southern Italy.<ref name="Foot" />
[[File:Lazzaretto di Milano da via San Gregorio 01.JPG|left|thumb|Russian church in Milan]]
Decades of continuing high immigration have made the city one of the most cosmopolitan and multicultural in Italy. Immigrants came mainly from Africa (in particular [[Eritreans in Italy|Eritreans]], [[Egyptians in Italy|Egyptians]], [[Moroccans in Italy|Moroccans]], [[Senegalese people in Italy|Senegalese]] and [[Nigerian people in Italy|Nigerian]]), and the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe (notably [[Albanians in Italy|Albanians]], [[Romanians in Italy|Romanians]], [[Ukrainians in Italy|Ukrainians]], [[Macedonian diaspora|Macedonians]], [[Moldovans]], and [[Russians in italy|Russians]]), in addition to a growing number of Asians (in particular [[Chinese people in Italy|Chinese]], [[Sri Lankans in Italy|Sri Lankans]] and [[Filipino Italians|Filipinos]]) and Latin Americans (Mainly South Americans). At the beginning of the 1990s, Milan already had a population of foreign-born residents of approximately 58,000 (or 4% of the then population), that rose rapidly to over 117,000 by the end of the decade (about 9% of the total).<ref>{{Cite book |author=Istituto Nazionale di Urbanistica della Lombardia |title=Lombardia, politiche e regole per il territorio |publisher=Alinea Editrice |year=1999 |isbn=88-8125-332-1 |location=Florence |page=139}}</ref>
[[File:Milano - Quartiere cinese nel 1945.jpg|left|thumb|208x208px|Milan Chinatown in 1945]]
Milan is home to the second-largest [[East Asia|Far East Asian]] community in Europe after [[Vietnamese community in Paris|Paris]], with the Philippines and China, making up about a quarter of its foreign population (around 76,000 out of 301,000 in 2023). Another 4,000 foreigners come from other East Asian countries; notably, Milan hosts more than 2,000 Japanese nationals and 1,000 Koreans, excluding those who also hold Italian citizenship.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statistiche Demografiche Cittadini stranieri Milano 2021 |url=https://www.tuttitalia.it/lombardia/18-milano/statistiche/cittadini-stranieri-2021/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728131010/https://www.tuttitalia.it/lombardia/18-milano/statistiche/cittadini-stranieri-2021/ |archive-date=28 July 2021 |access-date=5 November 2021 |publisher=tuttitalia.it |language=it}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Foreigners holding East-Asian citizenship thus make up around 5.36% of the city's population. Milan notably hosts the oldest and largest (along with [[Prato]]) [[Chinatown, Milan|Chinese community]] in Italy, with around 37,000 people in 2023, excluding Italians of Chinese descent such as immigrants who have acquired Italian citizenship or their descendants. Situated in the [[Administrative divisions of Milan|8th district]], and centered on [[Via Paolo Sarpi]], an important commercial avenue, the Milanese Chinatown was originally established in the 1920s by immigrants from [[Wencheng County]], in the [[Zhejiang]], and used to operate small textile and leather workshops.<ref>{{Cite book
| author= Antonella Ceccagno
| title= ll caso delle comunità cinesi: comunicazione interculturale ed istituzioni
| publisher= Armando Editore
| year=1997
| location= Rome
| pages= 29–35
| isbn= 88-7144-718-2}}</ref> Milan also hosts a Japanese International school as well as various Chinese schools throughout the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ミラノ日本人学校・Scuola Giapponese di Milano |url=http://www.mngitalia.net/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cinese, la lingua del futuro: ecco dove impararlo a Milano |url=https://www.milanotoday.it/formazione/corsi-formazione/quali-sono-scuole-cinese-milano.html |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=MilanoToday |language=it}}</ref>
[[File:Milano - incrocio via Settala via Vitruvio - 01.jpg|left|thumb|Via Settala, one of the access points to the so-called "Asmarina" area]]
The city also hosts an historical African community originating from the [[Horn of Africa]]. {{As of|2023}}, there were around 4,000 Eritrean, Ethiopian or Somali-born people living in Milan, the overwhelming majority being double-citizens of Italy, and not counting second and third generation migrants. The three countries were all Italian colonies at a time, from 1869 ([[Italian Eritrea|Eritrea]])<ref name="EBAb">{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Eritrea|volume=9|page=747}}</ref><ref>Agatha Ramm, "Great Britain and the Planting of Italian Power in the Red Sea, 1868-1885", ''The English Historical Review'', Vol. 59, No. 234 (May, 1944), p. 214–215.</ref><ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Egypt/3 History|display=Egypt: Section III: History|volume=9|page=90–119}}</ref> to 1943 ([[East African campaign (World War II)|East African campaign]]). Due to the historical links with Italy, a small community originating from the Horn of Africa has established its presence near Porta Venezia district starting from the 1970s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Palmisano |first=Lucio |title=La comunità eritrea ha portato Asmara a Milano |url=https://www.editorialedomani.it/fatti/la-comunita-eritrea-ha-portato-asmara-a-milano-ignrhaop |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=www.editorialedomani.it |language=it-it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-07-12 |title=Eritrea, Milano |url=https://www.rivistastudio.com/eritrea-milano/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=Rivista Studio |language=it-IT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Oltre lo zighinì |url=https://zero.eu/en/news/oltre-lo-zighini/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=zero.eu |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-24 |title=Il mondo a Milano: dal corno d'Africa a porta Venezia |url=https://www.milanofuoriclasse.it/2020/11/24/il-mondo-a-milano-dal-corno-dafrica-a-porta-venezia/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |language=it-IT}}</ref> It is estimated that in the "Asmarina" area (Little Asmara) there are around 2,000-2,500 people from the Horn of Africa still living there, along with multiple restaurants, institutes as well as an Ethiopian Church.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scego |first=Igiaba |date=2015-05-05 |title=Un angolo di Eritrea a Milano |url=https://www.internazionale.it/opinione/igiaba-scego/2015/05/05/eritrea-milano-asmarina |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=Internazionale |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Chiesa Ortodossa d'Etiopia |url=https://www.consigliochiesemilano.it/elenco-chiese/chiesa-ortodossa-detiopia-763.html |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=Consiglio delle Chiese Cristiane di Milano |language=it-IT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Miranda |first=Hari De |date=2023-01-16 |title=L'Asmarina di Buenos Aires: il quartiere più esotico di Milano |url=https://www.milanocittastato.it/milano/quartieri-di-milano/quartiere-eritreo/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=Milano Città Stato |language=it-IT}}</ref>

Another notable area with a large presence of foreign residents coming from a specific country is the so-called "quadrilatero di San Siro" or "San Siro casbah" in reference to the large Arab-speaking population living in the area.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Giuzzi |first=Cesare |date=2021-12-04 |title=Da San Siro il rap delle case popolari Neima Ezza, la generazione «perif» e la rabbia del quartiere-ghetto |url=https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/21_aprile_12/da-san-siro-rap-case-popolari-generazione-perif-rabbia-quartiere-ghetto-3a0f1418-9b57-11eb-a4a1-866c33c02647.shtml |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=Corriere della Sera |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-22 |title=Milano, sulla frontiera tra le due città: a San Siro il muro invisibile di piazzale Segesta tra il disagio delle case popolari e il lusso |url=https://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2021/12/22/news/inchiesta_frontiera_tra_le_due_citta_san_siro-331121678/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=la Repubblica |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-02-12 |title=Case Aler, viaggio nella casbah di San Siro tra rifiuti e case occupate |url=https://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2018/02/12/news/case_aler_viaggio_nella_casbah_di_san_siro-188657520/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=la Repubblica |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schiavi |first=Giangiacomo |date=2021-05-19 |title=San Siro, il mondo che vive separato nella «casbah» |url=https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/notizie/caso_del_giorno/21_maggio_19/san-siro-mondo-che-vive-separato-casbah-c3eb91a6-b872-11eb-86a2-256e95d23aef.shtml |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=Corriere della Sera |language=it}}</ref> The neighbourhood, consisting of around 6,000 municipal flats, is characterised by the fact of having an estimated 25% share of Arab-speaking inhabitants, mostly hailing from Egypt.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-05 |title=Accoltellato al viso e alla schiena nella casbah di San Siro: grave un 30enne |url=https://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2023/09/05/news/accoltellato_via_civitali_san_siro-413437867/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=la Repubblica |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Florio |first=Felice |date=2021-03-01 |title=Danni collaterali - Nel quartiere arabo di Milano, dove il Coronavirus colpisce i più deboli: «La speranza è nel sorriso degli abitanti» |url=https://www.open.online/2021/03/01/danni-collaterali-quartiere-arabo-milano/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=Open |language=it-IT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-11 |title="Barrio San Siro": il quartiere dove la violenza è lo stigma sociale e non solo cronaca nera |url=https://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2022/05/11/news/quartiere_san_siro_libro_paolo_grassi_interpretare_la_violenza_a_milano-348966295/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=la Repubblica |language=it}}</ref> The area has often been described as a ''[[banlieue]]'' within Milan and has historically had a higher crime rate than the rest of the city. Nevertheless, in recent years many projects have been presented so as to mitigate the marginalisation of its inhabitants. Other areas hosting large Arabic-speaking populations include Maciachini-Imbonati, Corvetto, Comasina and piazza Arcole.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-10-25 |title=Quella casbah chiamata Milano |url=https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/quella-casbah-chiamata-milano.html |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=ilGiornale.it |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Così a Milano è cresciuta una piccola Molenbeek, pronta a incendiarsi |url=https://www.ilfoglio.it/cronache/2016/08/03/news/cosi-a-milano-e-cresciuta-una-piccola-molenbeek-pronta-a-incendiarsi-102435/ |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=www.ilfoglio.it |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Istantanee-di-San-Siro.-Presente-e-futuro-del-quartiere |url=https://www.mappingsansiro.polimi.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Istantanee-di-San-Siro.-Presente-e-futuro-del-quartiere_2019.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Corvetto |url=https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/milano/san-siro-e-corvetto-ecco-enclave-arabe-controlli-tappeto-1194744.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=A virtual immersion in Corvetto Neighbourhood |date=30 March 2020 |url=https://medium.com/living-streets-lab/a-virtual-immersion-in-corvetto-neighbourhood-fe17054e5b16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-06 |title=Cristiana Shahata, la donna che aiuta le donne arabe allo sportello postale: "A loro dico di cercare di integrarsi" |url=https://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2023/03/06/news/ufficio_postale_corvetto_aiuto_donne_arabe-390696700/#google_vignette |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=la Repubblica |language=it}}</ref>

Milan has a substantial English-speaking community (around 4,500 US citizens, British, Irish and Australian expatriates, excluding double-citizens), and several English schools and English-language publications, such as ''Hello Milano'', ''Where Milano'' and ''[[Easy Milano]]''.<ref name=":1" />

=== Religion ===
[[File:Santa Maria delle Grazie Milan 2013.jpg|thumb|[[Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan|Santa Maria delle Grazie]], completed in 1497]]
[[File:Sant'Ambrogio (Milan) - Atrium.jpg|thumb|[[Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio|St. Ambrose Basilica]] dates back from AD 379–386.]]

Milan's population, like that of Italy as a whole, is mostly Catholic.<ref>{{Catholic-hierarchy|country|scit1|
Italy|21 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="PEW2018-RESEARCH">{{cite web|url=http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2018/05/24150841/Full-Topline-FINAL-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf|title=Being Christian in Western Europe|date=2018|publisher=Pew Research Center|access-date=3 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802131920/http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2018/05/24150841/Full-Topline-FINAL-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf|archive-date=2 August 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Milan. Greater Milan is also home to [[Protestant]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]], Jewish, [[Muslim]], [[Hinduism|Hindu]], [[Sikhism|Sikh]] and [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] communities.<ref>{{cite web |title=Christian Churches in Milan |url=https://www.yesmilano.it/esplora/itinerari/christian-churches-milan |website=Yesmilano.it |publisher=Milan Tourism Office |access-date=30 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230115613/https://www.yesmilano.it/esplora/itinerari/christian-churches-milan |archive-date=30 December 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mosaico-cem.it/ |title=Jewish Community of Milan |publisher=Mosaico-cem.it |access-date=13 March 2009 |archive-date=9 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309050537/http://www.mosaico-cem.it/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Povoledo |first=Elisabetta |title=What May Life in Italy Be Like Under the Right? These Immigrants Already Know |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/29/world/europe/italy-migrants-sesto-san-giovanni.html |access-date=30 December 2019 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=29 April 2018 |archive-date=30 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230180121/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/29/world/europe/italy-migrants-sesto-san-giovanni.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lankaramaya.com/ |title=Lankarama Buddhist Temple – Milan, Italy |publisher=Lankaramaya.com |access-date=13 March 2009 |archive-date=8 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508203144/http://www.lankaramaya.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Immigrants and religion in Italy: Orthodox overtake Muslims |url=https://www.ismu.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Immigrati-e-religioni-in-Italia-2017_27.3.2018-1.pdf |publisher=ISMU Foundation |access-date=1 January 2020 |archive-date=1 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101112757/https://www.ismu.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Immigrati-e-religioni-in-Italia-2017_27.3.2018-1.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Milan has been a Christian-majority city since the late Roman Empire.<ref>{{cite book |last=Alan |first=Kreider |title=The origins of Christendom in the West |date=2001 |publisher=T & T Clark |location=Edinburgh & New York |isbn=0-567-08776-X |page=56}}</ref> Its religious history was marked by the figure of St. Ambrose, whose heritage includes the [[Ambrosian Rite]] (Italian: ''Rito ambrosiano''), used by some five million Catholics in the greater part of the [[Archdiocese of Milan]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Bishop |first=William Chatterley |title=The Mozarabic and Ambrosian Rites: Four Essays in Comparative Liturgiology |date=1924 |publisher=Longmans, Green and Company |location=London |page=98}}</ref> which consider the largest in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.osservatoreromano.va/portal/dt?JSPTabContainer.setSelected=JSPTabContainer%2FDetail&last=false=&path=/news/editoriali/2012/direttore/128q12-Milano-laica-e-religiosa.html&title=Milano%20laica%20e%20religiosa&locale=it|title=Milano laica e religiosa|newspaper=[[L'Osservatore Romano]]|language=it|date=3 June 2012|access-date=15 March 2013}}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The Rite varies slightly from the canonical [[Roman Rite]] [[catholic liturgy|liturgy]], with differences in the mass, liturgical year ([[Lent]] starts four days later than in the Roman Rite), baptism, rite of funerals, priest clothes and sacred music (use of the [[Ambrosian chant]] rather than Gregorian).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01389a.htm |title=Catholic Encyclopedia: Ambrosian Chant |publisher=Newadvent.org |date=1 March 1907 |access-date=13 March 2009 |archive-date=12 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612195609/http://newadvent.org/cathen/01389a.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

In addition, the city is home to the largest Orthodox community in Italy. Lombardy is the seat of at least 78 Orthodox parishes and monasteries, the vast majority of them located in the area of Milan.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Monnot |first1=Christophe |last2=Stolz |first2=Joerg |title=Congregations in Europe |date=14 May 2018 |publisher=Springer |location=Berlin |isbn=978-3-319-77261-5 |page=63}}</ref> The main [[Romanian Orthodox]] church in Milan is the Catholic church of Our Lady of Victory (Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria), currently granted for use to the local Romanian community.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria |url=http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/tur/en/arteecultura/architetturaemonumenti/abbaziechieseebasiliche/chiesa_santa_maria_vittoria |website=Yesmilano.it |publisher=Milan Tourism Office |access-date=29 December 2019 |archive-date=29 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229133946/http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/tur/en/arteecultura/architetturaemonumenti/abbaziechieseebasiliche/chiesa_santa_maria_vittoria |url-status=live }}</ref> Similarly, the point of reference for the followers of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] is the Catholic church of [[San Vito in Pasquirolo, Milan|San Vito in Pasquirolo]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Valli |first=Aldo Maria|title=Voi mi sarete testimoni: Dionigi Tettamanzi arcivescovo a Milano |date=2009|publisher=Rizzoli |location=Milan |isbn=978-88-17-03661-0 |edition=1.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Calvesi |first1=Maurizio |last2=Zuccari |first2= Alessandro|title=Da Caravaggio ai Caravaggeschi |date=2008 |publisher=CAM Editrice |location=Rome |isbn=978-88-904842-0-9 |page=63}}</ref>

The Jewish community of Milan is the second largest in Italy after Rome, with about 10,000 members, mainly [[Sephardi]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lerman |first1=Antony |last2=David M. |first2=Jacobs |last3=Lena |first3=Stanley-Clamps |last4=Anne |first4=Frankel |last5=Alan |first5=Montague |title=Jewish Communities of the World |year=1989 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited |isbn=978-1-349-10534-2 |page=94 |edition=4th}}</ref> The main city synagogue, Hechal David u-Mordechai Temple, was built by architect [[Luca Beltrami]] in 1892 and is also the community's main headquarters, is located in Via della Guastalla. The interior was renovated in 1997.

Milan hosts also one of the largest Muslim communities in Italy,<ref>{{cite book |last=Castelli Gattinara |first=Pietro |title=The politics of migration in Italy : perspectives on local debates and party competition |date=2016 |publisher=Rutledge |location=New York |isbn=978-1-138-64256-0 |page=68}}</ref> and the city saw the construction of the country's first new [[Mosque of Segrate|mosque]] featuring a dome and minaret, since the destruction of the ancient mosques of [[Lucera]] in the year 1300. In 2014 the City Council agreed on the construction of a new mosque amid bitter political debate, since it is strenuously opposed by right-wing parties such as the [[Northern League (Italy)|Northern League]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Modood |first1=Tariq |last2=Triandafyllidou |first2=Anna |last3=Zapata-Barrero |first3=Ricard |title=Multiculturalism, Muslims, and citizenship : a European approach |url=https://archive.org/details/multiculturalism00modo |url-access=limited |date=2006 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |isbn=978-0-415-35514-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/multiculturalism00modo/page/n82 68]}}</ref> {{As of|2018}}, the Muslim population is estimated at 9% of the city's population.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep30904.4 |title=First Section: Data Regarding the Muslim Population in Italy |last=Martelli |first=Adelaide |date=2021 |publisher=International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) |pages=10–39}}</ref>

Currently, accurate statistics on the Hindu and Sikh presence in Milan metro area are not available; however, various sources estimate that about 40% of the total Indian population living in Italy, or about 50,000 individuals, reside in Lombardy,<ref>{{cite book |last=Rajan |first=S. Irudaya |title=India migration report 2018 : migrants in Europe |date=2019 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |isbn=978-1-138-49816-7 |edition=1st}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Giordan |first1=Giuseppe |last2=Swatos |first2=William H. |title=Testing pluralism : globalizing belief, localizing gods |date=2013 |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden |isbn=978-90-04-25447-3 |page=82}}</ref> where a number of Hindu and Sikh temples exist and where they form the largest such communities in Europe after the ones in Britain.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hundal |first=Sunny |title=Why the Indian government must help Italian Sikhs |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/columns/why-the-indian-government-must-help-italian-sikhs/story-y3yJS6zWOqnYkkVsDuvvAJ.html |access-date=30 December 2019 |newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=4 August 2017 |archive-date=30 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230000930/https://www.hindustantimes.com/columns/why-the-indian-government-must-help-italian-sikhs/story-y3yJS6zWOqnYkkVsDuvvAJ.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Economy ==
{{Main|Economy of Milan}}

[[File:Palais Mezzanotte - Milan (IT25) - 2022-09-03 - 3.jpg|thumb|[[Palazzo Mezzanotte]], the seat of the [[Borsa Italiana|Italian stock exchange]]]]
[[File:Milan Porta Nuova business district by night.jpg|thumb|The skyscrapers of [[Porta Nuova (Milan)|Porta Nuova business district]]]]
[[File:Veduta delle tre torri del quartiere Citylife a Milano.jpg|thumb|The skyscrapers of [[CityLife (Milan)|CityLife business district]]]]
[[File:Fieramilano Rho Pero improved version.jpg|thumb|[[Fiera Milano]], the most important trade fair organiser in Italy and the world's fourth largest<ref name="Fiera"/>]]
[[File:3665MilanoViaMontenapoleone.JPG|thumb|[[Via Monte Napoleone]] is Europe's most expensive street and the most-expensive street in the world, dethroning in 2024 [[Fifth Avenue]] in New York City<ref name="milano.corriere">{{cite web |date=30 November 2023 |title=Via Monte Napoleone scala la classifica mondiale delle strade del lusso: seconda solo alla Fifth Avenue di New York |url=https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/23_novembre_30/via-monte-napoleone-scala-la-classifica-mondiale-delle-strade-del-lusso-seconda-solo-alla-fifth-avenue-di-new-york-38c12cba-c8b2-4770-8059-2c59e3c70xlk.shtml}}</ref>]]
[[File:Prada milano.JPG|thumb|[[Prada]] shop at [[Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II]] in Milan]]

Whereas Rome is Italy's political and cultural capital, Milan is the country's industrial and financial heart, and it is widely considered the economic capital of Italy<ref name="prologis">{{cite web|url=https://www.prologis.it/en/industrial-logistics-warehouse-space/europe/italy/milan-italys-industrial-and-financial-capital|title=Milan, Italy's Industrial and Financial Capital|date=18 May 2018 |access-date=27 May 2022}}</ref> and one of the wealthiest cities in the country in terms of per-capita GDP.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.infodata.ilsole24ore.com/2023/07/18/scopri-dove-vivono-in-italia-i-ricchi-che-pagano-le-tasse/#:~:text=Posizioni%20invariate%20per%20quanto%20riguarda,%E2%82%AC%20Monza%20e%20%2B1.848%20%E2%82%AC |title=Scopri dove vivono in Italia i ricchi (che pagano le tasse) |date=18 July 2023 |access-date=27 November 2023 |language=it |newspaper=[[Il Sole 24 Ore]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=TG24 |first=Sky |date=2024-04-24 |title=Le città più ricche in Italia: la mappa dei redditi comune per comune |url=https://tg24.sky.it/economia/2024/04/23/dichiarazione-redditi-2023-mappa-comuni-italia |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=tg24.sky.it |language=it}}</ref> According to [[Eurostat]], Milan's metropolitan region GDP was €228&nbsp;billion ($265&nbsp;billion) in 2024,<ref name="Eurostat metro area GDP data" /> while the whole Lombardy's [[Gross regional domestic product|gross regional product]] was €490 billion ($568&nbsp;billion),<ref>{{cite web |title=Regional gross domestic product by NUTS 2 region |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00003/default/table?lang=en |publisher=[[Eurostat]] |access-date=29 October 2025}}</ref> the [[List of European Union regions by GDP|second-largest]] among EU regions.

Milan is a member of the [[Blue Banana]] corridor and of the [[Four Motors for Europe]] among Europe's economic leaders. The urban region of Milan is home to about 45% of businesses in the Lombardy region and more than 8 percent of all businesses in Italy, including three [[Fortune 500|''Fortune'' 500]] companies.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fortune 500 – 2011 ranking by location|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2011/countries/Italy.html|access-date=21 October 2012|archive-date=17 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190217084935/https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2011/countries/Italy.html|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the [[Economist Intelligence Unit]], Milan was the 11th-most-expensive city in Europe and the 22nd-most-expensive city in the world in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last=Beswick |first=Emma |title=Europe is home to some of the most expensive cities in the world in 2019 — where are they? |url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/03/19/europe-is-home-to-some-of-the-most-expensive-cities-in-the-world-in-2019-where-are-they |access-date=30 December 2019 |publisher=[[Euronews]] |date=19 March 2019 |archive-date=9 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200109092906/https://www.euronews.com/2019/03/19/europe-is-home-to-some-of-the-most-expensive-cities-in-the-world-in-2019-where-are-they |url-status=live }}</ref>  [[Via Monte Napoleone]] has been defined as the most-expensive street in the world (2024).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ziady |first=Hanna |date=2024-11-20 |title=So long, Fifth Avenue. The world's most expensive shopping street is now in Milan |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/20/business/milan-most-expensive-shopping-street-intl/index.html |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

Milan is one of the [[fashion capital]]s of the world, where the sector can count on 12,000 companies, 800 show rooms and 6,000 sales outlets; the city hosts the headquarters of global fashion houses such as Armani, [[Bottega Veneta]], [[Costume National]], Dolce & Gabbana, [[Dean and Dan Caten|Dsquared²]], [[Etro]], [[Jil Sander (brand)|Jil Sander]], [[Loro Piana]], [[Luxottica]], [[Marni (brand)|Marni]], [[Moncler]], Moschino, Prada, Versace, [[Valentino Garavani|Valentino]], [[Trussardi]] and [[Zegna]] and four weeks a year are dedicated to fashion events.<ref name="City profile">{{cite web |title=Milan: city profile |url=http://www.comune.milano.it/portale/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hHX9OgAE8TIwN_HzMnAyNLg1BDvyAvYwNPU_2CbEdFAIVG2dw!/?WCM_PORTLET=PC_7_AM5RPI420OL6B0290U1NRJ30A6_WCM&WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/contentlibrary/Inglese/HomePage/Business/Profilo+Milano/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305171133/http://comune.milano.it/portale/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_sb8k8xllm9msszpy8xbz9cp0os3hhx9ogae8tiwn_hzmnaynlg1bdvyavywnpu_2cbedfaivg2dw!?wcm_global_context=%2Fwps%2Fwcm%2Fconnect%2Fcontentlibrary%2Finglese%2Fhomepage%2Fbusiness%2Fprofilo+milano%2F&wcm_portlet=pc_7_am5rpi420ol6b0290u1nrj30a6_wcm |archive-date=5 March 2016 |access-date=29 May 2021 |publisher=Municipality of Milan}}</ref>

Since the late 1800s, the area of Milan has been a major industrial and manufacturing center. [[Alfa Romeo]] automobile company and [[Falck Group|Falck]] steel group employed thousands of workers in the city until the closure of their sites in [[Arese]] in 2004 and [[Sesto San Giovanni]] in 1995.

Other global industrial companies, such as [[Edison (company)|Edison]], [[Prysmian Group]], [[Gruppo Riva|Riva Group]], [[Saras S.p.A.|Saras]], [[Saipem]], Luxottica, [[Pirelli]], [[UniCredit]] and [[Techint]], maintain their headquarters and significant employment in the city and its suburbs. Other relevant industries active in metro Milan include chemicals (e.g. [[Mapei]], [[Versalis]], [[Tamoil|Tamoil Italy]]), home appliances (e.g. [[Candy (company)|Candy]]), hospitality ([[UNA Hotels & Resorts]]), food & beverages (e.g. [[Bertolli]], [[Campari Group|Campari]]), machinery, medical technologies (e.g. [[Amplifon]], [[Bracco (company)|Bracco]]), plastics and textiles. The construction (e.g. [[Webuild]]), retail (e.g. [[Esselunga]], [[La Rinascente]]) and utilities (e.g. [[A2A]], Edison S.p.A., [[Snam]], [[Sorgenia]]) sectors are also large employers in the Greater Milan. Other major companies based in Milan include [[Fininvest]], [[TIM Group]] and [[Banco BPM]].

The main national insurance companies and banking groups (for a total of 198 companies) and over forty foreign insurance and banking companies are located in the city,<ref name="City profile" /> as well as a number of asset management companies, including [[Anima Holding]], [[Azimut Holding]], [[ARCA SGR]] and [[Eurizon Capital]]. The [[Associazione Bancaria Italiana]] representing the Italian banking system, and [[Borsa Italiana|Milan Stock Exchange]] (225 companies listed on the stock exchange) are both located in the city. Porta Nuova, the main [[business district]] of Milan and one of the most important in Europe, hosts the Italian headquarters of numerous global companies, such as [[Accenture]], [[Axa]], [[Bank of America]], [[BNP Paribas]], [[Celgene]], [[China Construction Bank]], [[Deutsche Bank (Italy)|Deutsche Bank]], [[FM Global]], [[Herbalife]], [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]], [[Iliad Italia|Iliad]], [[KPMG]], [[Maire Tecnimont]], [[Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group]], [[Panasonic]], [[Pirelli]], [[Ubisoft Milan|Ubisoft]], [[Shire (pharmaceutical company)|Shire]], [[Tata Consultancy Services]], [[Telecom Italia]], UniCredit and [[UnipolSai]].

Other large multinational service companies, such as [[Allianz]], [[Assicurazioni Generali|Generali]], [[Alleanza Assicurazioni]] and [[PwC]], have their headquarters in the CityLife business district, a new {{convert|900|acre|km2|adj=mid|-wide}} development project designed by prominent modernist architects Zaha Hadid, Daniel Liebskind and Arata Isozaki.

The city is home to numerous media and advertising agencies, [[List of Italian newspapers|national newspapers]] and telecommunication companies, including both the public service broadcaster [[RAI]] and private television companies like [[Mediaset]] and [[Sky Italia]]. In addition, it hosts the headquarters of the largest Italian publishing companies, such as [[Feltrinelli (publisher)|Feltrinelli]], [[Giunti Editore]], {{Ill|Messaggerie Italiane|it}}, [[Mondadori]], [[RCS Media Group]] and {{Ill|Rusconi Libri|it}}. Milan has also seen a rapid increase in the presence of [[information technology|IT]] companies, with both domestic and international companies such as [[Altavista]], Google, [[Italtel]], [[Lycos]], [[Microsoft]],<ref>{{cite web |title=MICROSOFT HOUSE – THE STUNNING HEADQUARTERS OF MICROSOFT ITALY Through the Keyhole |url=https://news.microsoft.com/europe/features/through-the-keyhole/ |website=news.microsoft.com |date=7 March 2017 |publisher=Microsoft News Centre Europe |access-date=31 December 2019 |archive-date=31 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231153943/https://news.microsoft.com/europe/features/through-the-keyhole/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Virgilio.it|Virgilio]] and [[Yahoo!]] establishing their Italian operations in the city.

The city is also a global hub for event management and trade fairs. [[Fiera Milano]] operates the most important trade fair organiser in Italy and the world's fourth-largest<ref name="Fiera">{{cite web |title=Ranking of the world's largest exhibition halls in 2018, by gross hall capacity |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/264240/largest-exhibition-halls-in-the-world-by-hall-capacity/ |website=Statista |access-date=3 February 2020 |archive-date=3 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203145736/https://www.statista.com/statistics/264240/largest-exhibition-halls-in-the-world-by-hall-capacity/ |url-status=live }}</ref> exhibition hall in Rho, were international exhibitions like [[Milan Furniture Fair]], [[EICMA]], [[EMO (trade show)|EMO]] take place on 400,000 square metres of exhibition areas with more than 4&nbsp;million visitors in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=2018 Sustainability Report Consolidated disclosure of non-financial information pursuant to Legislative Decree 254/2016 |url=https://www.fieramilano.it/content/dam/fieramilano/documenti/lp-investor-relations/en/sustainability/FIERA_DNF_2018_ENG.pdf |publisher=[[Fiera Milano]] |access-date=3 February 2020 |archive-date=3 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203162244/https://www.fieramilano.it/content/dam/fieramilano/documenti/lp-investor-relations/en/sustainability/FIERA_DNF_2018_ENG.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Tourism===
{{Main|Tourism in Milan}}

{{wide image|20170706 MilanoDuomo 9637 (36747362195).jpg|800px|align-cap=center|The [[Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II]], the [[Milan Cathedral]], the [[Royal Palace of Milan]] and the [[Palazzo dell'Arengario]] in [[Piazza del Duomo, Milan|Piazza del Duomo]]}}
[[File:Duomo di milano keski.jpg|thumb|Interior of the [[Milan Cathedral]]. Milan Cathedral is the city's most popular tourist destination.<ref name="slideshare"/>]]

[[Tourism in Milan|Tourism is an increasingly important part of the city's economy]]: with 8.81&nbsp;million registered international arrivals in 2018 (up 9.92% on the previous year), Milan ranked as the world's 15th-most-visited city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://newsroom.mastercard.com/press-releases/big-cities-big-business-bangkok-london-and-paris-lead-the-way-in-mastercards-2018-global-destination-cities-index/|title=Global Destination Cities Index by Mastercard, 2018 edition|access-date=28 April 2019|archive-date=28 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928121613/https://newsroom.mastercard.com/press-releases/big-cities-big-business-bangkok-london-and-paris-lead-the-way-in-mastercards-2018-global-destination-cities-index/|url-status=dead}}</ref> One source has 56% of international visitors to Milan are from Europe, 44% of the city's tourists are Italian, and 56% are from abroad.<ref name=slideshare>[http://www.slideshare.net/mtmexperience/tourist-characteristics-and-the-perceived-image-of-milan Infos at slideshare.net]</ref> The most important European Union markets are the United Kingdom (16%), Germany (9%) and France (6%).<ref name="slideshare"/> Most of the visitors who come from the United States to the city go on business matters, while Chinese and Japanese tourists mainly take up the leisure segment.<ref name=slideshare/> Milan is one of the international tourism destinations, appearing among the forty most visited cities in the world, ranking second in Italy after Rome, fifth in Europe and sixteenth in the world.<ref name="ilgiorno"/><ref name="newsroom"/>

The city boasts several popular tourist attractions, such as the Milan Cathedral and Piazza del Duomo, the [[Teatro alla Scala]], the [[San Siro Stadium]], the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Castello Sforzesco, the Pinacoteca di Brera and the [[Via Montenapoleone]]. Most tourists visit sights<ref>{{cite web|title=places to go in milan|url=http://milan.citylisting.org/|access-date=27 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402102008/http://milan.citylisting.org/|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> such as Milan Cathedral, the Castello Sforzesco and the Teatro alla Scala; however, other main sights such as the [[Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio]], the Navigli and the Brera district are less visited and prove to be less popular.<ref name="slideshare.net">{{cite web|url=http://www.slideshare.net/mtmexperience/tourist-characteristics-and-the-perceived-image-of-milan|title=Tourist Characteristics and the Perceived Image of Milan|date=10 February 2009 |publisher=Slideshare.net|access-date=29 April 2010}}</ref> The city also has numerous hotels, including the ultra-luxurious [[Town House Galleria]], which is the world's first [[star (classification)|seven-star]] hotel according to [[Société Générale de Surveillance]] (''five-star superior luxury'' according to state law, however) and one of [[The Leading Hotels of the World]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/travel/heaven-at-the-worlds-first-sevenstar-hotel-20090103-79de.html|title=Heaven at Milan's Town House Galleria hotel|work=[[The Age]]|date=7 January 2009|access-date=21 January 2009|location=Melbourne}}</ref>

== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of Milan}}

=== Museums and art galleries ===
{{Main|List of museums in Milan}}

[[File:Leonarda da vinci, last supper 01.jpg|thumb|[[Leonardo da Vinci]]'s ''[[The Last Supper (Leonardo da Vinci)|The Last Supper]]'', together with the church of [[Santa Maria delle Grazie (Milan)|Santa Maria delle Grazie]], is a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]]]]
[[File:Milan - Pinacothèque de Brera - Cour intérieure.jpg|thumb|[[Pinacoteca di Brera]] is the city's largest art gallery.]]
[[File:Veduta di tre quarti del Palazzo Reale di Milano.jpg|thumb|The [[Royal Palace of Milan]] is a major venue for international art exhibitions]]
[[File:Arengario Milano Museo 900.jpg|thumb|[[Museo del Novecento]] covers 20th-century Italian art, including [[Futurism]]]]
[[File:Parco Sempione (Milan), Wikimania 2016, MP 003.jpg|thumb|[[Triennale]] is a museum dedicated to architecture, design and fashion]]

Milan is home to many cultural institutions, museums and art galleries, that account for about a tenth of the national total of visitors and receipts.<ref>{{cite web|title=STATE MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES. NUMBER OF VISITORS AND RECEIPTS BY TYPE OF ADMISSION AND TYPE OF INSTITUTE, 2011|url=http://www.asr-lombardia.it/PSY-Milano/cultural-activities/culture/lombardia-and-provinces/tables/12915/|publisher=Province of Milan|access-date=14 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508061231/http://www.asr-lombardia.it/PSY-Milano/cultural-activities/culture/lombardia-and-provinces/tables/12915/|archive-date=8 May 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Pinacoteca di Brera is one of Milan's most important art galleries. It contains one of the foremost collections of Italian painting, including masterpieces such as the ''[[Brera Madonna]]'' by [[Piero della Francesca]]. The Castello Sforzesco hosts numerous art collections and exhibitions, especially statues, ancient arms and furnitures, as well as the [[Sforza Castle Pinacoteca|Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco]], with an art collection including [[Michelangelo]]'s last sculpture, the ''[[Rondanini Pietà]]'', [[Andrea Mantegna]]'s ''[[Trivulzio Madonna]]'' and Leonardo da Vinci's ''[[Codex Trivulzianus]]'' manuscript. The Castello complex also includes [[Museo d'Arte Antica|The Museum of Ancient Art]], The Furniture Museum, The [[Museum of Musical Instruments (Milan)|Museum of Musical Instruments]] and the [[Applied Arts Collection (Milan)|Applied Arts Collection]], [[Egyptian Museum (Milan)|The Egyptian and Prehistoric sections]] of the [[Archaeological Museum (Milan)|Archaeological Museum]] and the Achille Bertarelli Print Collection (Civica Raccolta delle Stampe Bertarelli).

Milan's figurative art flourished in the [[Middle Ages]], and with the Visconti family being major patrons of the arts, the city became an important centre of [[Gothic art]] and architecture (Milan Cathedral being the city's most formidable work of Gothic architecture). Leonardo worked in Milan from 1482 until 1499. He was commissioned to paint the ''[[Virgin of the Rocks]]'' for the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception and ''[[The Last Supper (Leonardo)|The Last Supper]]'' for the monastery of [[Santa Maria delle Grazie (Milan)|Santa Maria delle Grazie]].<ref name=Kemp>{{Cite book|first=Martin|last=Kemp|title=Leonardo|year=2004}}</ref>

The city was [[Baroque in Milan|affected by the Baroque]] in the 17th and 18th centuries, and hosted numerous formidable artists, architects and painters of that period, such as [[Caravaggio]] and [[Francesco Hayez]], which several important works are hosted in Brera Academy. The [[Museum of the Risorgimento (Milan)|Museum of Risorgimento]] is specialised on the history of [[Italian unification]] Its collections include iconic paintings like [[Baldassare Verazzi]]'s ''Episode from the Five Days'' and Francesco Hayez's 1840 ''[[:File:Francesco Hayez 047.jpg|Portrait]] of Emperor [[Ferdinand I of Austria]]''. The [[Triennale]] is a design museum and events venue located in Palazzo dell'Arte, in [[Parco Sempione|Sempione Park]]. It hosts exhibitions and events highlighting contemporary Italian design, urban planning, architecture, music and media arts, emphasising the relationship between art and industry.

Milan in the 20th century was the epicentre of the [[Futurism|futurist]] artistic movement. [[Filippo Tommaso Marinetti|Filippo Marinetti]], the founder of Italian Futurism wrote in his 1909 "''[[Manifesto of Futurism]]''" (in Italian, ''Manifesto Futuristico''), that Milan was "''grande...tradizionale e futurista''" ("''grand...traditional and futuristic''", in English). [[Umberto Boccioni]] was also an important Futurism artist who worked in the city. Today, Milan remains a major international hub of modern and contemporary art, with numerous modern art galleries. The [[Modern Art Gallery (Milan)|Modern Art Gallery]], situated in the Royal Villa, hosts collections of Italian and European painting from the 18th to the early 20th centuries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gam-milano.com/ |title=Galleria d'Arte moderna di Milano |publisher=GAM Milano |access-date=29 September 2012 |archive-date=25 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121125153129/http://www.gam-milano.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>''Le città d'arte: Milano'', Guide brevi Skira, ed.2008, autori vari (Italian language).</ref><ref>''Milan'', Lonely Planet Encounter Guides, 1st Edition, January 2009 (English language).</ref> The [[The Museum of Twentieth Century (Museo del Novecento)|Museo del Novecento]], situated in the [[Palazzo dell'Arengario]], is one of the most important art galleries in Italy about 20th-century art; of particular relevance are the sections dedicated to Futurism, [[Spatialism]] and [[Arte povera]]. In the early 1990s architect [[David Chipperfield]] was invited to convert the premises of the former Ansaldo Factory into a Museum. Museo delle Culture (MUDEC) opened in April 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archdaily.com/617947/museum-of-cultures-completes-in-milan|title=Museum of Cultures Completes in Milan|date=10 April 2015|work=archdaily.com|access-date=13 September 2016|archive-date=19 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919112127/http://www.archdaily.com/617947/museum-of-cultures-completes-in-milan|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Gallerie di Piazza Scala]], a modern and contemporary museum located in Piazza della Scala in the Palazzo Brentani and the Palazzo Anguissola, hosts 195 artworks from the collections of [[Fondazione Cariplo]] with a strong representation of nineteenth-century Lombard painters and sculptors, including [[Antonio Canova]] and Umberto Boccioni. A new section was opened in the Palazzo della Banca Commerciale Italiana in 2012. Other private ventures dedicated to contemporary art include the exhibiting spaces of the [[Prada Foundation]] and [[HangarBicocca]]. The [[Nicola Trussardi Foundation]] is renewed for organising temporary exhibition in venues around the city. Milan is also home to many public art projects, with a variety of works that range from sculptures to murals to pieces by internationally renowned artists, including [[Arman]], [[Kengiro Azuma]], [[Francesco Barzaghi]], [[Alberto Burri]], [[Pietro Cascella]], [[Maurizio Cattelan]], Leonardo da Vinci, [[Giorgio de Chirico]], [[Kris Ruhs]], [[Emilio Isgrò]], [[Fausto Melotti]], [[Joan Miró]], Carlo Mo, [[Claes Oldenburg]], [[Igor Mitoraj]], Gianfranco Pardi, [[Michelangelo Pistoletto]], [[Arnaldo Pomodoro]], Carlo Ramous, [[Aldo Rossi]], [[Aligi Sassu]], [[Giuseppe Spagnulo]] and [[Domenico Trentacoste]].

=== Music ===
{{See also|Music of Milan}}
[[File:Milano - Teatro alla Scala 3924.jpg|thumb|Inaugurated in 1778, [[La Scala]] is among the world's most famous opera houses]]

Milan is considered an international capital of the performing arts. The city hosts [[La Scala]] opera house, widely considered one of the world's most prestigious,<ref>{{cite web |title=La Scala: 15 facts about the great Milan opera house |url=https://www.classicfm.com/radio/shows-presenters/everything-you-ever-wanted-know/facts-la-scala/ |website=www.classicfm.com |publisher=[[Classic FM (UK)]] |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref> with a 200-year history of [[Premier Exhibitions|premieres]] of major operas, such as ''[[Nabucco]]'' by [[Giuseppe Verdi]] in 1842, ''[[La Gioconda (opera)|La Gioconda]]'' by [[Amilcare Ponchielli]], ''[[Madama Butterfly]]'' by [[Giacomo Puccini]] in 1904, ''[[Turandot]]'' by Puccini in 1926, and more recently ''[[Teneke (opera)|Teneke]]'', by [[Fabio Vacchi]] in 2007. Other relevant theatres in Milan include [[Teatro degli Arcimboldi]], [[Teatro Dal Verme]], [[Teatro Lirico (Milan)|Teatro Lirico]]. The city is also the seat of a renowned [[Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi|symphony orchestra]] and [[Milan Conservatory|musical conservatory]], and has been, throughout history, a major centre for musical composition: numerous famous composers and musicians such as [[Gioseppe Caimo]], [[Simon Boyleau]], [[Hoste da Reggio]], Giuseppe Verdi, [[Giulio Gatti-Casazza]], [[Paolo Cherici]] and [[Alice Edun]] lived and worked in Milan. The city is also the birthplace of many modern ensembles and bands, including [[I Camaleonti]], [[Camerata Mediolanense]], [[Gli Spioni]], [[Dynamis Ensemble]], [[Elio e le Storie Tese]], [[Krisma]], [[Premiata Forneria Marconi]], [[Quartetto Cetra]], [[Stormy Six]], [[Le Vibrazioni]] and [[Lacuna Coil]].

=== Fashion and design ===
{{Main|Fashion in Milan}}

[[File:Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II 2382.jpg|thumb|[[Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II]] is Italy's oldest active shopping gallery and a major landmark of Milan.]]

Milan is widely regarded as a global capital in industrial design, fashion and architecture.<ref>{{cite book|last=Knox|first=Paul L.|title=Cities and design |year=2010 |publisher=Routledge |location=London|isbn=978-0-203-84855-5|pages=228–235}}</ref> In the 1950s and 60s, as the main industrial centre of Italy and one of Europe's most dynamic cities, Milan became a world capital of design and architecture. There was such a revolutionary change that Milan's fashion exports accounted for {{US$}}726&nbsp;million in 1952, and by 1955 that number grew to {{US$}}72.5&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8329251|title=Cambridge Journals Online – Business History Review – Abstract – Turning Fashion into Business: The Emergence of Milan as an International Fashion Hub|journal=Business History Review|volume=80 |issue=3 |pages=415–447 |doi=10.1017/S0007680500035856 |access-date=24 January 2015|archive-date=14 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714121432/http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8329251|url-status=live|last1=Merlo |first1=Elisabetta |last2=Polese |first2=Francesca |date=October 2006 |s2cid=156857344  |issn=0007-6805|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Modern skyscrapers, such as the Pirelli Tower and the Torre Velasca were built, and artists such as [[Bruno Munari]], [[Lucio Fontana]], [[Enrico Castellani]] and [[Piero Manzoni]] gathered in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.frieze.com/issue/article/milan_turin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112121758/http://www.frieze.com/issue/article/milan_turin/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 November 2007 |title=Frieze Magazine &#124; Archive &#124; Milan and Turin |publisher=Frieze.com |access-date=3 January 2010 }}</ref> Today, Milan is still particularly well known for its high-quality furniture and interior design industry. The city is home to FieraMilano, Europe's largest permanent trade exhibition, and Salone Internazionale del Mobile, one of the most prestigious international furniture and design fairs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Salone Internazionale del Mobile official website |url=http://www.cosmit.it/en/salone_internazionale_del_mobile |access-date=15 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410191218/http://cosmit.it/en/salone_internazionale_del_mobile |archive-date=10 April 2013}}</ref>

Milan is also regarded as one of the fashion capitals of the world, along with [[New York Fashion Week|New York City]], [[Paris Fashion Week|Paris]] and [[London Fashion Week|London]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.languagemonitor.com/global-english/new-york-takes-top-global-fashion-capital-title-from-london-edging-past-paris/ |title=New York Takes Top Global Fashion Capital Title from London, edging past Paris |date=3 February 2015 |publisher=Languagemonitor.com |access-date=9 May 2017 |archive-date=21 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170521223339/http://www.languagemonitor.com/global-english/new-york-takes-top-global-fashion-capital-title-from-london-edging-past-paris/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Milan is synonymous with the Italian prêt-à-porter industry,<ref>{{cite book|last=Bye|first=Elizabeth|title=Fashion design|year=2010|publisher=Berg|location=Oxford|isbn=978-1-84788-266-0|pages=136–137|edition=English}}</ref> as many of the most famous [[Italian fashion]] brands, such as [[Valentino SpA|Valentino]], Versace, Prada, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, are headquartered in the city. Numerous international fashion labels also operate shops in Milan. Furthermore, the city hosts the [[Milan Fashion Week]] twice a year, one of the most important events in the international fashion system.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Milan Fashion Week – Home of the best|journal=Mojeh Magazine|url=http://mojeh.com/milan-fashion-week|access-date=15 April 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130315153110/http://mojeh.com/milan-fashion-week|archive-date=15 March 2013}}</ref> Milan's main upscale fashion district, ''[[quadrilatero della moda]]'', is home to the city's most prestigious shopping streets (Via Monte Napoleone, [[Via della Spiga]], [[Via Sant'Andrea]], [[Via Manzoni]] and [[Corso Venezia]]), in addition to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the world's oldest shopping malls.<ref>{{cite book|last=Klaffke|first=Pamela|title=Spree : a cultural history of shopping|year=2003|publisher=Arsenal Pulp Press|location=Vancouver, B.C.|isbn=1-55152-143-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/spree00pame/page/46 46]|url=https://archive.org/details/spree00pame/page/46}}</ref> The term ''[[sciura]]'' encapsulates the look and culture of fashionable, elderly Milanese women.

=== Languages and literature ===
{{Main|Milanese literature}}

[[File:Francesco Hayez 040.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Alessandro Manzoni]] is famous for the novel ''[[The Betrothed]]'' (1827), generally ranked among the masterpieces of [[world literature]].<ref name="britannica">{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alessandro-Manzoni|title=Alessandro Manzoni &#124; Italian author|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|date=18 May 2023 }}</ref> This novel is a fundamental milestone in the development of the modern, unified Italian language.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://manzoni.classicauthors.net/IPromessiSposiOrTheBetrothed/IPromessiSposiOrTheBetrothed1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718073016/http://manzoni.classicauthors.net/IPromessiSposiOrTheBetrothed/IPromessiSposiOrTheBetrothed1.html|url-status=dead|title=I Promessi sposi or The Betrothed|archive-date=18 July 2011}}</ref>]]

In the late 18th century and throughout the 19th, Milan was an important centre for intellectual discussion and literary creativity. The [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] found here a fertile ground. [[Cesare Beccaria|Cesare, Marquis of Beccaria]], with his famous ''[[Dei delitti e delle pene]]'', and Count [[Pietro Verri]], with the periodical ''Il Caffè'' were able to exert a considerable influence over the new [[middle class|middle-class]] culture.

In the first years of the 19th century, the ideals of the [[Romanticism|Romantic movement]] made their impact on the cultural life of the city and its major writers debated the primacy of Classical versus [[Romantic poetry]]. Additionally, [[Giuseppe Parini]] and [[Ugo Foscolo]] published their most important works, and were admired by younger poets as masters of ethics, as well as of literary craftsmanship.

In the third decade of the 19th century, [[Alessandro Manzoni]] wrote his novel ''[[The Betrothed]]'', considered the manifesto of Italian Romanticism, which found in Milan its centre; in the same period [[Carlo Porta]], reputed the most renowned local vernacular poet, wrote his poems in [[Lombard Language]]. The periodical ''[[Il Conciliatore]]'' published articles by [[Silvio Pellico]], [[Giovanni Berchet]], [[Ludovico di Breme]], who were both Romantic in poetry and patriotic in politics.

After the Unification of Italy in 1861, Milan retained a sort of central position in cultural debates. New ideas and movements from other countries of Europe were accepted and discussed: thus [[Realism (arts)|Realism]] and [[Naturalism (literature)|Naturalism]] gave birth to prewar Italian movement of ''[[Verismo]]'' in Southern Italy, its greatest ''Verista'' novelist [[Giovanni Verga]] formed in Sicily who wrote his most important books in Milan.

In addition to Italian, approximately 2&nbsp;million people in Northern Italy can speak the [[Milanese dialect]] or other [[Western dialects of Lombard language|Western Lombard]] variation.<ref>{{cite book|last=Coluzzi|first=Paolo|title=Minority language planning and micronationalism in Italy: an analysis of the situation of Friulian, Cimbrian and Western Lombard with reference to Spanish minority languages|date=2007|publisher=New York|location=Oxford|isbn=978-3-03911-041-4|page=260}}</ref>

=== Media ===
[[File:IMG 4263 - Milano - Sede del Corriere della Sera in via Solferino - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto 20-jan 2007.jpg|thumb|The historic headquarters of ''[[Corriere della Sera]]'' in via Solferino]]

Milan is an important national and international media center. [[RCS MediaGroup|RCS]], a major international multimedia publishing group, is the publisher of both {{Lang|it|[[Corriere della Sera]]}} (established in 1876, it is one of the oldest Italian newspapers) and {{Lang|it|[[La Gazzetta dello Sport]]}} (a daily dedicated to sports, and the most widely-read in Italy). Other local dailies are the general broadsheets {{Lang|it|[[Il Giorno (newspaper)|Il Giorno]]}}, {{Lang|it|[[Il Giornale]]}}, the Catholic newspaper {{Lang|it|[[Avvenire]]}}, and {{Lang|it|[[Il Sole 24 Ore]]}}, a daily business newspaper owned by [[Confindustria]] (the Italian employers' federation). Free daily newspapers include {{Lang|it|[[Leggo]]}} and ''[[Metro (Italian newspaper)|Metro]]''. Milan is also home to many architecture, art and fashion periodicals, including ''[[Abitare]]'', ''[[Casabella]]'', ''[[Domus (magazine)|Domus]]'', ''[[Flash Art]]'', ''[[Gioia (magazine)|Gioia]]'', ''[[Grazia]]'' and ''[[Vogue Italia]]''. ''[[Panorama (magazine)|Panorama]]'' and ''[[Oggi (magazine)|Oggi]]'', two of Italy's most important weekly news magazines, are also published in Milan. Several major television networks have their national headquarters in Milan and its metropolitan area, including [[Mediaset]] (the largest commercial broadcaster in the country), [[Sky Italia]], the Italian division of [[Paramount Skydance]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Legal information |url=https://legal.paramount.com/en/pplus/legalinfo |publisher=[[Paramount Skydance]] |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref> [[Telelombardia]]. National radio stations based in Milan include [[Radio DeeJay]], [[Radio 105 Network]], [[R101 (Italy)]], [[Radio Popolare]], [[RTL 102.5]], [[Radio Capital]] and [[Virgin Radio Italia]].

=== Cuisine ===
{{Main|Lombard cuisine}}

{{Multiple image
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| image1            = Redaktionsvortreffen_EuT_2_ossobuco_16.04.2011_22-59-12.2011_22-59-12.jpg
| width1            = 173
| caption1          = [[Ossobuco]] served with {{lang|it|[[risotto alla milanese]]}}
| image2            = Panettone vero.jpg
| width2            = 154
| caption2          = [[Panettone]]
}}

[[File:Antica trattoria Bagutto.jpg|thumb|The [[Antica trattoria Bagutto]] in Milan, the oldest restaurant in Italy and the second in Europe.<ref name="localistorici"/>]]
Like most cities in Italy, Milan has developed its own local culinary tradition, which, as it is typical for North Italian cuisines, uses more frequently rice than pasta, butter than [[vegetable oil]] and features almost no tomato or [[Fish as food|fish]]. Milanese traditional dishes include ''[[cotoletta|cotoletta alla milanese]]'', a breaded veal (pork and turkey can be used) cutlet pan-fried in butter (similar to Viennese [[Wiener Schnitzel]]). Other typical dishes are ''[[cassoeula]]'' (stewed pork rib chops and sausage with [[Cabbage|Savoy cabbage]]), ''[[ossobuco]]'' (braised [[veal]] shank served with a condiment called ''[[gremolata]]''), ''[[risotto|risotto alla milanese]]'' (with [[saffron]] and beef marrow), ''busecca'' (stewed [[tripe]] with beans), ''[[mondeghili]]'' ([[meatballs]] made with leftover meat fried in butter) and ''brasato'' (stewed beef or pork with wine and potatoes).

Season-related pastries include ''chiacchiere'' (flat fritters dusted with sugar) and ''tortelli'' (fried spherical cookies) for [[Carnival]], ''colomba'' (glazed cake shaped as a dove) for Easter, ''pane dei morti'' ("bread of the (Day of the) Dead", cookies flavoured with [[cinnamon]]) for [[All Souls' Day]] and [[panettone]] for Christmas. The ''salame Milano'', a [[salami]] with a very fine grain, is widespread throughout Italy. Renowned Milanese cheeses are [[gorgonzola]] (from the [[Gorgonzola, Milan|namesake]] village nearby), [[mascarpone]], used in pastry-making, [[taleggio cheese|taleggio]] and [[Quartirolo lombardo|quartirolo]].

The ''[[comune]]'' of [[San Colombano al Lambro]], located about {{convert|40|km}} south-east of Milan, is home to the ''[[Denominazione di origine controllata]]'' (DOC) wine which includes 100 hectares (250 acres) producing a single red wine. The finished wine must attain a minimum [[alcohol level]] of 11% to be [[labelled (wine)|labelled]] with the San Colombano DOC designation.<ref name="Saunders">P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pg 198 Firefly Books 2004 {{ISBN|1-55297-720-X}}</ref>

Milan is well known for its world-class restaurants and cafés, characterised by innovative cuisine and design.<ref>{{cite web|title=Where Are the World's Best Shopping and Dining Destinations?|url=http://magazine.fourseasons.com/travel-food-style/things-to-do/personalities-perspectives/best-shopping-and-dining-around-the-world|publisher=Four Seasons Magazine|access-date=14 September 2014|archive-date=15 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915032240/http://magazine.fourseasons.com/travel-food-style/things-to-do/personalities-perspectives/best-shopping-and-dining-around-the-world|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2014}}, Milan has 157 Michelin-selected places, including three 1-Michelin-starred restaurants;<ref>{{cite web|title=best restaurant in milan |url=http://milan.citylisting.org/category/restaurant/ |access-date=27 February 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402202228/http://milan.citylisting.org/category/restaurant/ |archive-date=2 April 2015 }}</ref> these include [[Cracco in Galleria|Cracco]], Sadler and il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Michelin Guide restaurants – Milan|url=http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Restaurants/Restaurants-Milan-_-Milano-Italy?strLocid=31NDMwdDIxMGNORFV1TkRZek5qZz1jT1M0eE9EZ3hOdz09|access-date=17 September 2014|archive-date=20 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020151144/http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Restaurants/Restaurants-Milan-_-Milano-Italy?strLocid=31NDMwdDIxMGNORFV1TkRZek5qZz1jT1M0eE9EZ3hOdz09|url-status=live}}</ref> Many historical restaurants and bars are found in the historic centre, the Brera and Navigli districts. Milan is home to the oldest restaurant in Italy and the second in Europe, the [[Antica trattoria Bagutto]], which has existed since at least 1284.<ref name="localistorici">{{Cite web|url=http://www.localistorici.it/it/Schede/view/tipo/locali-storici/categorie/per-anno-di-fondazione_1200-1299/slug/antica-trattoria-bagutto|title=Antica trattoria Bagutto|access-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130430180217/http://www.localistorici.it/it/Schede/view/tipo/locali-storici/categorie/per-anno-di-fondazione_1200-1299/slug/antica-trattoria-bagutto|archive-date=30 April 2013|language=it}}</ref> One of the city's oldest surviving cafés, [[Caffè Cova]], was established in 1817.<ref>[https://www.milanopocket.it/pasticceria-cova-milano/ La Pasticceria Cova di Milano: tradizione ed eleganza dal 1817] ''MilanoPocket.it''</ref> In total, Milan has 15 cafés, bars and restaurants registered among the Historical Places of Italy, continuously operating for at least 70 years.<ref>{{cite web|title=Historic places of Lombardy|url=http://www.localistorici.it/it/Schede/list/tipo/locali-storici/categorie/per-regione_lombardia/page/2|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140914190000/http://www.localistorici.it/it/Schede/list/tipo/locali-storici/categorie/per-regione_lombardia/page/2|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 September 2014|publisher=Associazione Locali Storici d'Italia|access-date=17 September 2014}}</ref>

== Sport ==
[[File:Stadio Meazza 2021.jpg|thumb|[[San Siro|San Siro Stadium]], home of [[AC Milan]] and [[Inter Milan]], has a capacity of 80,000. It is Italy's biggest stadium.]]
[[File:Forum Assago Parquet 2.jpg|thumb|[[Mediolanum Forum]], home of [[Olimpia Milano]]]]
[[File:Autodromo_Nazionale_Monza,_April_22,_2018_SkySat_(cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Satellite view of the [[Monza Circuit]]]]
Milan hosted matches at the [[FIFA World Cup]] in [[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]] and [[1990 FIFA World Cup|1990]] and the [[UEFA European Championship]] in [[UEFA Euro 1980|1980]], and more recently held the [[2003 World Rowing Championships]], the [[2009 AIBA World Boxing Championships|2009 World Boxing Championships]], and some games of the [[FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship|Men's Volleyball World Championship]] in [[2010 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship|2010]] and the final games of the [[FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|Women's Volleyball World Championship]] in [[2014 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|2014]]. In 2018, Milan hosted the [[World Figure Skating Championships]]. Milan will host the [[2026 Winter Olympics]] as well as the [[2026 Winter Paralympics]] jointly with [[Cortina d'Ampezzo]].

Milan, along with [[Manchester]], is one of only two cities in Europe that is home to two [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup/Champions League]] winning teams: [[Serie A]] football clubs [[AC Milan]] and [[Inter Milan|Inter]]. They are two of the most successful clubs in the world of football in terms of international trophies. Both teams have also won the [[FIFA Club World Cup]] (formerly the [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]]). With a combined ten Champions League titles, Milan is only second to Madrid as the city with the most European Cups. Both teams play at the [[UEFA]] 5-star-rated Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, more commonly known as the [[San Siro]], that is one of the biggest stadiums in Europe, with a [[seating capacity]] of over 80,000.<ref name="size"/> The Meazza Stadium has hosted four [[List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League finals|European Cup/Champions League finals]], most recently in [[2016 UEFA Champions League final|2016]], when [[Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid]] defeated [[Atlético Madrid]] 5–3 in a [[Penalty shoot-out (association football)|penalty shoot-out]]. A third team, [[Brera Calcio]], plays in [[Prima Categoria]], the seventh tier of Italian football.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.breracalcio.it |title=Brera Calcio F.C. |publisher=Breracalcio.it |access-date=14 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903040411/http://www.breracalcio.it/ |archive-date=3 September 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Another team, [[Milano City FC]] (a successor of Bustese Calcio),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.MilanoCityFC.it/|title=Home – Milano City FC|website=Milano City FC|language=it-IT|access-date=5 February 2018|archive-date=12 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812040733/http://www.milanocityfc.it/|url-status=live}}</ref> plays in [[Serie D]], the fourth level.

Milan was one of the host cities of the [[EuroBasket 2022]]. There are currently four professional [[Lega Basket]] clubs in Milan: [[Olimpia Milano]], Pallacanestro Milano 1958, Società Canottieri Milano and A.S.S.I. Milano. Olimpia is the most decorated basketball club in Italy, having won 31 [[Lega Basket Serie A|Italian League]] championships, eight [[Italian Basketball Cup|Italian National Cups]], five [[Italian Basketball Supercup|Italian Super Cups]], three [[EuroLeague|European Champions Cups]], one [[FIBA Intercontinental Cup]], three [[FIBA Saporta Cup]]s, two [[FIBA Korać Cup]]s and many junior titles. The team play at the [[Mediolanum Forum]], with a capacity of 12,700, where it has been hosted the final of the [[2013–14 Euroleague]]. In some cases the team also plays at the [[PalaDesio]], with a capacity of 6,700.

Milan is also home to Italy's oldest American football team: [[Rhinos Milano]], who have won five Italian Super Bowls. The team plays at the [[Velodromo Vigorelli]], with a capacity of 8,000. Another [[American football]] team that use the same venue is the [[Milano Seamen|Seamen Milano]], who joined the professional [[European League of Football]] in 2023. Milan also has two cricket teams: Milano Fiori, currently competing in the second division, and Kingsgrove Milan, who won the Serie A championship in 2014. [[Amatori Rugby Milano]], the most decorated rugby team in Italy, was founded in Milan in 1927. The [[Monza Circuit]], located near Milan, hosts the Formula One [[Italian Grand Prix]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autodromo di Monza – Italia |date=8 February 2023 |url=https://scuderia.alphatauri.com/it/circuiti-f1/autodromo-monza/|language=it|access-date=6 February 2024}}</ref> The circuit is located inside the [[Royal Villa of Monza]] park. It is one of the world's oldest [[Auto racing|car racing]] circuits. The capacity for the [[Formula One]] races is currently over 113,000. It has hosted a Formula One race nearly every year since the first year of competition, with the exception of 1980.

In [[road bicycle racing|road cycling]], Milan hosts the start of the annual [[Milan–San Remo]] [[Classic cycle races|classic]] one-day race and the annual [[Milano–Torino]] one day race. Milan is also the traditional finish for the final stage of the [[Giro d'Italia]], which, along with the [[Tour de France]] and the [[Vuelta a España]], is one of cycling's three [[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tours]].

== Education ==
[[File:Milano, ca' granda, 01.jpg|thumb|The 15th century ''[[University of Milan#Headquarters – City Centre Campus|Ca' Granda]]'' designed by the [[Italian Renaissance|Renaissance]] period architect [[Filarete]] is the headquarters of the [[University of Milan]].]]
[[File:POLIMI Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32 - on the right the building 3.jpg|thumb|The [[Polytechnic University of Milan]] is the city's oldest university, founded in 1863. It is frequently ranked as the best university in Italy.<ref name="topuniversities"/>]]
[[File:Bicocca edificio U12.jpg|thumb|[[University of Milan Bicocca]], established in 1998, is the city's newest university.]]

Milan is a major global centre of higher education teaching and research and has the second-largest concentration of higher education institutes in Italy after Rome. Milan's higher education system includes 7 universities, 48 faculties and 142 departments, with 185,000 university students enrolled in 2011 (approximately 11 percent of the national total)<ref name="University and research in Milan"/> and the largest number of university graduates and postgraduate students (34,000 and more than 5,000, respectively) in Italy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.esfr.org/pdf/flyer-esfr-congress-2010.pdf |title=5th Congress of the European Society on Family Relations (ESFR) |access-date=8 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029044522/http://www.esfr.org/pdf/flyer-esfr-congress-2010.pdf |archive-date=29 October 2012}}</ref>

=== Universities ===
The [[Polytechnic University of Milan]] is the city's oldest university, founded in 1863. With over 40,000 students, it is the largest [[Technology (disambiguation)|technical]] university in Italy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.english.polimi.it/university/facts-at-a-glance/ |title=Facts at a Glance |publisher=Politecnico di Milano |access-date=13 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121128023446/http://www.english.polimi.it/university/facts-at-a-glance/ |archive-date=28 November 2012 |website=www.english.polimi.it}}</ref> According to the [[QS World University Rankings]] for the subject area 'Engineering & Technology', it ranked as the 13th best in the world in 2022.<ref name="QS World University Rankings">{{cite web|title=QS World University Rankings|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2022/engineering-technology|website=QS Top Universities|publisher=QS|access-date=22 July 2022}}</ref> It ranked 6th worldwide for Design, 9th for Civil and Structural Engineering, 9th for Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and 7th for Architecture.<ref name="QS World University Rankings"/> {{As of|2025}} it is the best university in Italy and Southern Europe according to the QS Top Universities list, having consistently retained the first rank for many years.<ref name="topuniversities">{{cite web|title=QS World University Rankings|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/politecnico-di-milano#wurs|publisher=[[QS World University Rankings]]|access-date=1 August 2025}}</ref>

The [[University of Milan]] (also known as the "State University"), founded in 1924,<ref>{{cite web|title=University of Milan – Our heritage, our future|url=https://www.unimi.it/en/university/la-statale/our-heritage-our-future|access-date=12 June 2023|archive-date=12 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612093810/https://www.unimi.it/en/university/la-statale/our-heritage-our-future|url-status=live}}</ref> is the largest public teaching and research university in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unimi.it/ENG/university/29497.htm|title=About us|publisher=University of Milan|access-date=13 March 2009|archive-date=21 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221073704/http://www.unimi.it/ENG/university/29497.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The University of Milan is the sixth-largest university in Italy, with approximately 60,000 enrolled students and a teaching staff of 2,500.<ref>{{cite web|title=Largest universities in Italy|url=http://anagrafe.miur.it/php5/home.php?&anni=2010-11&categorie=ateneo&status=iscritti&tipo_corso=TT&&order_by=i|publisher=Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research|access-date=4 November 2012|archive-date=6 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106213938/http://anagrafe.miur.it/php5/home.php?&anni=2010-11&categorie=ateneo&status=iscritti&tipo_corso=TT&&order_by=i|url-status=live}}</ref> The university ranks high in the fields of medicine, physics, mathematics, law, political science, sociology, philosophy, history, economics, statistics, geoscience and astronomy. Notable alumni such as former Italian Prime Minister [[Silvio Berlusconi]] and [[Nobel Prize|Nobel]] laureates have earned their degrees at the University of Milan. The Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Milan consistently ranks among the world's top 100 medical schools.<ref name="USNWR">{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/university-of-milan-506478|title=University of Milan|website=usnews.com|publisher=U.S. News|access-date=27 July 2025}}</ref><ref name="QS-Medicine">{{Cite web|title=QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Medicine|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-subject-rankings/medicine?items_per_page=100|access-date=2025-07-30|website=QS Top Universities|language=en}}</ref> According to the global rankings of the [[U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Ranking|USNWR]] in 2025, the University of Milan ranked 15th in the world in [[Gastroenterology]] and [[Hepatology]],<ref name="USNWR"/> 43rd in [[Oncology]],<ref name="USNWR"/> 53rd in [[Surgery]], [[Pharmacology]] and [[Toxicology]],<ref name="USNWR"/> 54th in [[Clinical medicine]],<ref name="USNWR"/> 64th in [[Radiology]], [[Nuclear medicine]] and [[Medical imaging]],<ref name="USNWR"/> 68th in [[Cardiology]] and [[Circulatory system|Cardiovascular systems]],<ref name="USNWR"/> 77th in [[Infectious diseases]],<ref name="USNWR"/> 78th in [[Endocrinology]] and [[Metabolism]],<ref name="USNWR"/> 80th in [[Neuroscience]] and [[Behavioural sciences]],<ref name="USNWR"/> and 98th in [[Immunology]].<ref name="USNWR"/> In 2025 the University of Milan ranked 1st in Italy and 80th in the world in the field of [[Medicine]] according to the [[QS World University Rankings]].<ref name="QS-Medicine"/>

The [[University of Milano-Bicocca]], established in 1998, is the city's newest institution of higher education in science and technology. Built over a once industrial area, today it enrolls more than 30,000 students, of whom more than 60% are female.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unimib.it/go/7505088889715065616/Home/Italiano/Ateneo/Ateneo-in-cifre/Dati-Studenti|title=Enrolled students – figures|publisher=Milan Bicocca University|access-date=4 November 2012|archive-date=28 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728003209/http://www.unimib.it/go/7505088889715065616/Home/Italiano/Ateneo/Ateneo-in-cifre/Dati-Studenti|url-status=live}}</ref> As its older parent institute, it is one of the most sought-after locations for medical students.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ilgiorno.it/milano/cronaca/universit%C3%A0-milano-lombardia-facolt%C3%A0-1.6937694|title=Università Milano e Lombardia: le Facoltà che piacciono di più|newspaper=[[Il Giorno (newspaper)|Il Giorno]]|date=21 October 2021|access-date=6 November 2021|archive-date=6 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106125258/https://www.ilgiorno.it/milano/cronaca/universit%C3%A0-milano-lombardia-facolt%C3%A0-1.6937694|url-status=live}}</ref> It ranked 82nd among over 300 young colleges in the 2020 ''[[Times Higher Education]]'' World University Rankings.<ref>{{cite web |title=University of Milan-Bicocca |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/university-milan-bicocca |website=timeshighereducation.com |publisher=Times Higher Education |access-date=16 December 2019 |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613114339/https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/university-milan-bicocca |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Catholic University of the Sacred Heart]] is the largest private teaching university in Europe<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unicattolica.it/3282.html |title=La Cattolica: I numeri |publisher=Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore |language=it |access-date=23 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120923043455/http://www.unicattolica.it/3282.html |archive-date=23 September 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the largest [[Catholic University]] in the world with 42,000 enrolled students.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unicatt.it/inaugurazione/2003/pdf/D1Rettore.pdf |title=Relazione letta dal Rettore Magnifico Prof. Lorenzo Ornaghi per l'inaugurazione dell'A.A. 2003–2004 |trans-title=Report Read by the Rector Prof. Lorenzo Ornaghi for the Inauguration of the 2003–2004 Academic Year |publisher=Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore |date=5 November 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809033903/http://www.unicatt.it/inaugurazione/2003/pdf/D1Rettore.pdf |archive-date=9 August 2011 |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unicattolica.it/la-cattolica-i-numeri?rdeLocaleAttr=en|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130218152504/http://www.unicattolica.it/la-cattolica-i-numeri?rdeLocaleAttr=en|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 February 2013|title=UCSC in figures|publisher=Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore|access-date=8 July 2009}}</ref> [[Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic]] serves as the [[teaching hospital]] for the medical school of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and owes its name to the university founder, the [[Franciscan]] [[friar]], physician and psychologist [[Agostino Gemelli]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.policlinicogemelli.it/area/?s=177 |title=Storia |trans-title=History |publisher=[[Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic]] |language=it |access-date=2013-05-17 |archive-date=9 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309094211/http://www.policlinicogemelli.it/area/?s=177 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Bocconi University]] is a private management and finance university established in 1902, ranking as the best university in Italy in its fields, and as one of the best in the world. In 2020, QS World University Rankings ranked the university seventh worldwide and third in Europe in business and management studies,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2020/business-management-studies|title=Business & Management Studies|date=24 February 2020|website=Top Universities|language=en|access-date=11 April 2020|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417024837/https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2020/business-management-studies|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as first in economics and [[econometrics]] outside the US and the UK.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2020/economics-econometrics|title=Economics & Econometrics|date=25 February 2020|website=Top Universities|language=en|access-date=11 April 2020|archive-date=13 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013184619/https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2020/economics-econometrics|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Financial Times]]'' ranked it the sixth-best business school in Europe in 2018.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/european-business-school-rankings-2018|title=European Business School Rankings 2018|newspaper=Financial Times|access-date=4 November 2012|archive-date=3 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203202645/https://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/european-business-school-rankings-2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Bocconi University also ranks as the fifth-best one-year MBA course in the world, according to the ''[[Forbes]]'' 2017 ranking.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/business-schools/list/international-1-year/|title=Best International MBAs: One-Year Programs|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=28 April 2019|archive-date=28 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428120313/https://www.forbes.com/business-schools/list/international-1-year/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Vita-Salute San Raffaele University]] is a private teaching medical university linked to the [[San Raffaele Hospital]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unisr.it/ |title=Vita-Salute San Raffaele University – Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele |publisher=Unisr.it |access-date=13 March 2009 |archive-date=7 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190307081053/http://www.unisr.it/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[IULM University|University Institute of Languages and Communication]] (also known as "University IULM") is a private teaching university established in 1968, later renamed from its original name "University Institute of Languages of Milan", becoming first Italian university offering courses on [[public relation]]s; later it became a point of reference also for [[business communication]]; media and advertising; translation and interpreting; communication in culture and arts markets, tourism and fashion.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.crui.it/marcopolo/eng/Libera%20Universit%C3%A0%20di%20Lingue%20e%20Comunicazione%20IULM_eng.htm |title=Libera Università di Lingue e Comunicazione IULM |publisher=Crui.it |access-date=13 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026213121/http://www.crui.it/marcopolo/eng/Libera%20Universit%C3%A0%20di%20Lingue%20e%20Comunicazione%20IULM_eng.htm |archive-date=26 October 2007}}</ref>

=== Art academies ===
[[File:Il Conservatorio di Musica di Milano.jpg|thumb|[[Milan Conservatory]]]]
Milan is also well known for its fine arts and music schools. The Milan Academy of Fine Arts (Brera Academy) is a public [[academic institution]] founded in 1776 by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria; the [[Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti Milano|New Academy of Fine Arts]] is the largest private art and design university in Italy;<ref>{{cite web|title=About us |url=http://www.italian-design-academy.com/site/en/home/about-us.html |publisher=Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti Milano |access-date=4 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116013951/http://www.italian-design-academy.com/site/en/home/about-us.html |archive-date=16 November 2012}}</ref> the [[Istituto Europeo di Design|European Institute of Design]] is a private university specialised in fashion, industrial and interior design, audio/visual design including photography, advertising and marketing and business communication; the [[Istituto Marangoni|Marangoni Institute]], is a fashion institute with campuses in Milan, London and Paris; the [[Domus Academy]] is a private postgraduate institution of design, fashion, architecture, interior design and management; the Pontifical Ambrosian Institute of Sacred Music, a college of music founded in 1931 by the blessed cardinal A.I. Schuster, archbishop of Milan, and raised according to the rules by the Holy See in 1940, is—similarly to the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome, which is consociated with—an Institute "ad instar facultatis" and is authorised to confer university qualifications with canonical validity<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unipiams.org |title=Pontificio Istituto Ambrosiano di Musica Sacra: What is it? |publisher=Unipiams.org |access-date=12 April 2013 |archive-date=21 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421050535/http://www.unipiams.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and the Milan Conservatory, a college of music established in 1807, currently Italy's largest with more than 1,700 students and 240 music teachers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.consmilano.it/index.php?id=212 |title=Conservatorio di musica "G.Verdi" di Milano: Introduzione |publisher=Consmilano.it |access-date=9 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106215436/http://www.consmilano.it/index.php?id=212 |archive-date=6 November 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Transport ==
{{Main|Transport in Milan}}

[[File:Shared electric cars at Piazza Duca d'Aosta, Milan.jpg|thumb|right|[[Carsharing]] cars in [[Piazza Duca d'Aosta]]]]
Milan is one of the key transport nodes of Italy and southern Europe. Its [[Milano Centrale railway station|central railway station]] is Italy's second, after [[Rome Termini railway station]], and Europe's eighth busiest.<ref name=grandistazioni>{{cite web|title=List of major railway stations in Italy with passenger figures. |url=http://www.centostazioni.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=a675d5e57e30a110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD |publisher=Ferrovie dello Stato |access-date=20 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722030440/http://www.centostazioni.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=a675d5e57e30a110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD |archive-date=22 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Milano Centrale station official page on Ferrovie dello stato website.|url=http://www.grandistazioni.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=b0b0f42b3e09a110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD|publisher=Ferrovie dello Stato|access-date=20 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924041558/http://www.grandistazioni.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=b0b0f42b3e09a110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD|archive-date=24 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Milan Malpensa Airport|Malpensa]], [[Linate Airport|Linate]] and [[Orio al Serio International Airport|Orio al Serio]] airports serve the Greater Milan, the largest metropolitan area in Italy.

[[Azienda Trasporti Milanesi]] (ATM) is the Milanese municipal transport company; it operates 5 [[Rapid transit|metro]] lines, 18 tram lines, 131 bus lines, 4 [[trolleybus]] lines and 1 [[people mover]] line, carrying about 776&nbsp;million passengers in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ATM in Figures ATM, Azienda Trasporti Milanesi|url=https://www.atm.it/en/IlGruppo/ChiSiamo/Pages/Numeri.aspx|access-date=10 June 2020|website=www.atm.it|archive-date=28 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228000627/https://www.atm.it/en/IlGruppo/ChiSiamo/Pages/Numeri.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> Overall the network covers nearly {{cvt|1500|km|0}} reaching 46 municipalities.<ref>{{cite web|title=ATM in Figures|url=https://www.atm.it/en/IlGruppo/ChiSiamo/Pages/Numeri.aspx|website=www.atm.it|publisher=[[Azienda Trasporti Milanesi]]|access-date=27 December 2017|archive-date=28 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228000627/https://www.atm.it/en/IlGruppo/ChiSiamo/Pages/Numeri.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> Besides public transport, ATM manages the interchange [[parking lot]]s and other transport services including [[BikeMi|bike sharing]] and [[carsharing]] systems.<ref>{{cite web|title=Carta della Mobilità 2011|url = http://www.atm-mi.it/it/IlGruppo/ChiSiamo/Documents/carta_della_mobilita2011.pdf|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120329192453/http://www.atm-mi.it/it/IlGruppo/ChiSiamo/Documents/carta_della_mobilita2011.pdf|url-status = dead|archive-date = 29 March 2012|publisher=Azienda Trasporti Milanesi|access-date=20 September 2011}}</ref>

=== Rail ===

==== Underground ====
[[File:M4 San Babila appena inaugurata.jpg|alt=|thumb|[[Milan Metro]] is the largest rapid transit system in Italy in terms of length, number of stations and ridership; and the fifth longest in the [[European Union]] and the eighth in the [[Europe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milanocittastato.it/trasporti/effetto-m4-la-metro-di-milano-entra-nella-top-europea/?fbclid=IwY2xjawF3U1dleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXSpIbaPnyiu6v7H7zI_mDyWgUrPadrCjN6GDzfUhPP2dI-Mfj4jLYBecw_aem__7hUFLg35ygwuZipXbL1Vg#goog_rewarded|title=Effetto M4: la metro di Milano entra nella top europea|date=11 October 2024 |access-date=12 October 2024|language=it}}</ref>]]
The [[Milan Metro]] is the [[rapid transit]] system serving the city and surrounding municipalities. The network consists of 5 lines ([[Milan Metro Line 1|M1]], [[Milan Metro Line 2|M2]], [[Milan Metro Line 3|M3]], [[Milan Metro Line 4|M4]] and [[Milan Metro Line 5|M5]]), with a total network length of {{convert|112|km}}, and a total of [[List of Milan Metro stations|125 stations]], mostly underground.<ref name="Milan-figs">{{cite web |url=http://www.metropolitanamilanese.it/pub/page/it/MM/metropolitane_milano?contentId=613 |title=L'opera che ha fatto di Milano una grande metropoli |publisher=Metropolitane Milanesi SpA |language=it |trans-title=The work that has made a great metropolis of Milan |access-date=20 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013235930/http://www.metropolitanamilanese.it/pub/page/it/MM/metropolitane_milano |archive-date=13 October 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It has a daily ridership of 1.15&nbsp;million,<ref name=rep3sep>{{cite news |url=http://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2013/09/03/news/metro-65775461/ |title=Atm, un piano da 524 milioni per 500mila passeggeri un più |newspaper=la Repubblica |date=3 September 2013 |access-date=23 September 2013 |archive-date=12 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512011933/https://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2013/09/03/news/metro-65775461/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the largest in Italy as well as one of the largest in Europe.

The architectural project of the Milan Metro, created by [[Franco Albini]] and [[Franca Helg]], and the signs, designed by [[Bob Noorda]], received the [[Compasso d'Oro]] award in 1964.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.metromilano50.com/compasso-oro/|title = Compasso d'oro 1964 alla Metropolitana di Milano – Motivazione e foto storiche della premiazione|access-date=14 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110050252/http://www.metromilano50.com/compasso-oro/|archive-date=10 January 2015|url-status = dead|language=it}}</ref> Within the European Union it is the seventh-largest network in terms of kilometres.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metropolitana-milano.it/|title=Metropolitana Milano – Scopri la metropolitana di Milano|access-date=31 January 2020|language=it}}</ref>

==== Suburban ====
[[File:Milano staz Porta Venezia TSR linea S6.JPG|thumb|A [[Treno Servizio Regionale|TSR]] train at [[Milano Porta Venezia railway station]] on the [[Milan Passerby Railway]]]]
{{As of|2025|September}}, the [[Milan suburban railway service]], operated by [[Trenord]], comprises 12 [[S-train|S lines]] connecting the metropolitan area with the city centre, with possible transfers to all the metro lines. Most S lines run through the [[Milan Passerby Railway]], commonly referred to as "il Passante" and mostly served by double-decker trains every 4/8 minutes in the central underground section, between Porta Vittoria and Lancetti.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Lines▶Regional & Suburban Railway |url=https://www.trenord.it/linee-e-orari/il-nostro-servizio/linee-suburbane-e-urbane/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103003936/http://www.trenord.it/en/the-lines/regional-railway.aspx |archive-date=3 January 2018 |access-date=27 December 2017 |publisher=[[Trenord]]}}</ref>

==== National and international trains ====
[[File:Milan CentralStation 016 4294.jpg|thumb|[[Milano Centrale railway station]]]]

Milan Central station, with 110 million passengers per year, is the largest and [[List of busiest railway stations in Europe|eighth-busiest railway station in Europe]] and the second busiest in Italy after [[Roma Termini]].<ref name="grandistazioni"/> Milano Centrale railway station is the largest railway station in Europe by volume.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.unitremilano.it/920/luoghi/stazione-centrale-milano.html |title=La Stazione Centrale di Milano: la più grande in Europa |date=8 February 2020 |access-date=1 October 2023 |archive-date=23 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923165628/https://www.unitremilano.it/920/luoghi/stazione-centrale-milano.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Milano Cadorna railway station|Milano Cadorna]] and [[Milano Porta Garibaldi railway station|Milano Porta Garibaldi]] stations are, respectively, the seventh- and the eleventh-busiest stations in Italy, mostly served by regional and suburban trains.<ref name="grandistazioni"/>

Since the end of 2009, two [[High-speed rail|high-speed train]] lines link Milan to Rome, [[Naples]] and [[Turin–Milan high-speed railway|Turin]], considerably shortening travel times with other major cities in Italy. Since 2016, a further high-speed line are connects the city to Brescia,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ferrovie.it - A 300 km/h da Milano a Brescia |url=https://www.ferrovie.it/portale/articoli/4400 |access-date=2025-09-19 |website=Ferrovie.it |language=it}}</ref> as part of the line towards Verona and Venice, which is still under construction,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ferrovie.it - Avanzano i lavori di costruzione della linea alta velocità Brescia-Verona |url=https://www.ferrovie.it/portale/articoli/16384 |access-date=2025-09-19 |website=Ferrovie.it |language=it}}</ref> while parts of the line towards Genoa are underway, {{as of|2025|05|lc=yes}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Latorre |first=Michele |date=2024-11-25 |title=Rfi conferma i tempi lunghi per Terzo Valico e Milano-Genova |url=https://www.trasportoeuropa.it/notizie/infrastrutture/rfi-conferma-i-tempi-lunghi-per-terzo-valico-e-milano-genova/ |access-date=2025-09-19 |website=TrasportoEuropa}}</ref> Milan is served by direct international trains to Nice, Marseille, Lyon, Paris, Lugano, Geneva, Bern, Basel, Zurich and Frankfurt, and by overnight sleeper services to Munich and Vienna (ÖBB).<ref>{{cite web |title=International Destinations|url=http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=4005d8f9f285a110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD |publisher=Ferrovie dello Stato |access-date=20 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111070722/http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=4005d8f9f285a110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD |archive-date=11 January 2015}}</ref> Since 2011 [[Trenord]], has operated both Trenitalia and LeNord regional trains in Lombardy, carrying over 750,000 passengers on more than 50 routes every day.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lombardia regional operator Trenord launched with €250m train tender |url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/policy/single-view/view/lombardia-regional-operator-trenord-launched-with-EUR250m-train-tender.html |access-date=27 December 2017 |publisher=Railway Gazette International |date=4 May 2011 |archive-date=28 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228000842/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/policy/single-view/view/lombardia-regional-operator-trenord-launched-with-EUR250m-train-tender.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trenord.it/en/about-us/company-profile.aspx |title=Trenord Company profile |access-date=30 January 2019 |publisher=trenord.it |archive-date=30 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130220759/http://www.trenord.it/en/about-us/company-profile.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Trenitalia]] and [[S.N.C.F.]] provide high speed services services to [[Paris]], stopping at [[Lyon]] and [[Turin]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Milano-Parigi, cresce il numero dei passeggeri |url=https://www.fsnews.it/it/focus-on/servizi/milano-parigi-trenitalia-biglietti-trainline-treno-viaggio.html |access-date=2025-09-19 |website=FS News |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Morino |first=Marco |date=2025-01-23 |title=Dopo il Frecciarossa torna anche il Tgv Parigi-Milano: via il 31 marzo, prezzi da 29 euro |url=https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/dopo-frecciarossa-torna-anche-tgv-parigi-milano-via-31-marzo-prezzi-29-euro-AGAbj0UC |access-date=2025-09-19 |website=Il Sole 24 ORE |language=it}}</ref>

=== Buses and trams ===
[[File:Milano tram piazza Cavour.jpg|thumb|Intersecting trams under the arcs of [[Porta Nuova, Gate of Milan|Porta Nuova medieval gate]]. This type of historical tram is also used in [[San Francisco]], United States<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milanotoday.it/blog/t_el-see-che-a-milan/tram-milano-san-francisco.html|title=Perché a San Francisco girano (anche) i tram di Milano|access-date=25 October 2024|language=it}}</ref>]]
The [[Trams in Milan|city tram network]] consists of approximately {{convert|160|km}} of track and 18 lines, and is Europe's most advanced light rail system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://world.nycsubway.org/eu/it/milan.html |title=world.nycsubway.org/Europe/Italy/Milan (Urban Trams) |publisher=World.nycsubway.org |date=8 December 2003 |access-date=13 March 2009 |archive-date=9 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309205545/http://world.nycsubway.org/eu/it/milan.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Bus lines cover over {{cvt|1070|km|0}}. Milan also has [[taxicab|taxi]] services operated by private companies and licensed by the City Council of Milan. The city is also a key node for the national road network, being served by all the major highways of Northern Italy. Numerous long-distance bus lines link Milan with many other cities and towns in Lombardy and throughout Italy.<ref>{{cite web|title=Long-Distance Buses|url=https://www.muoversi.milano.it/web/portale-mobilita-en/long-distance-buses|publisher=City of Milan|access-date=23 July 2016|archive-date=15 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715085354/http://www.muoversi.milano.it/web/portale-mobilita-en/long-distance-buses|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Airports ===
{{Main|Airports of Milan}}

[[File:Milan malpensa terminal airport.jpg|thumb|[[Milan Malpensa Airport]]]]
[[File:Bergamo airport terminal.jpg|thumb|Departures area of the [[Milan Bergamo Airport]]]]

In the surroundings of Milan there are three airports dedicated to normal civilian traffic (Milan Malpensa Airport and Milan Linate Airport, managed by SEA, and Milan Bergamo Airport by SACBO).

Overall, the Milan airport system handles traffic of over 51.4&nbsp;million passengers and around 700,000 tons of goods every year and is the first in Italy in terms of passenger volume and cargo volume (the second Italian airport system is Rome with 44.4&nbsp;million passengers in 2023).<ref>{{cite web |access-date=1 February 2024 |language=it |publisher=Assareoporti |title=Statistiche Dati di Traffico Aeroportuale Italiano |url=https://assaeroporti.com/statistiche/}}</ref> The Milan Malpensa airport, with over 700 thousand tons, confirms the national leadership, processing 70% of the country's air cargo.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 January 2023 |title=Aeroporti italiani: nel 2022 passeggeri in crescita, gli scali del Sud e delle Isole guidano la ripresa del traffico verso i livelli pre-Covid |url=https://assaeroporti.com/aeroporti-italiani-nel-2022-passeggeri-in-crescita-gli-scali-del-sud-e-delle-isole-guidano-la-ripresa-del-traffico-verso-i-livelli-pre-covid/ |access-date=21 February 2023 |website=Assaeroporti |language=it-IT |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221122524/https://assaeroporti.com/aeroporti-italiani-nel-2022-passeggeri-in-crescita-gli-scali-del-sud-e-delle-isole-guidano-la-ripresa-del-traffico-verso-i-livelli-pre-covid/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* The intercontinental [[Spoke–hub distribution paradigm|hub]] of [[Milan Malpensa Airport]] (MXP) is Italy's second-busiest airport, after [[Rome Fiumicino Airport]], with 24.1&nbsp;million passengers served in 2023 and Italy's busiest for freight and cargo, handling about 700,000 tons of international freight in 2022. Malpensa Airport is the largest [[international airport]] in northern Italy, serving [[Lombardy]], Piedmont and [[Liguria]], as well as the Swiss [[Canton of Ticino]]. The airport is located {{convert|49|km}} north-west of Milan,<ref name="AIP">{{cite web |url=http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/publicuser/protect/pu/main.jsp |title=EAD Basic |publisher=Ead.eurocontrol.int |access-date=7 November 2010 |archive-date=5 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005154221/http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/publicuser/protect/pu/main.jsp |url-status=live }}</ref> in the [[province of Varese]] next to the [[Ticino (river)|Ticino]] river dividing Lombardy and Piedmont. Malpensa airport is 9th in the world and 6th in Europe for the number of countries served with direct scheduled flights<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ceresa |first=Gabriele |date=15 February 2023 |title=Malpensa torna tra i primi 10 aeroporti al mondo per Paesi serviti con voli diretti |url=https://www.malpensa24.it/malpensa-classifica-aeroporti-mondo/ |access-date=22 February 2023 |website=MALPENSA24 |language=it-IT |archive-date=22 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230222001925/https://www.malpensa24.it/malpensa-classifica-aeroporti-mondo/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It is connected to Milan by the [[Malpensa Express]] railway service and by various bus lines.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.malpensaexpress.it/ |title=Collegamento Milano Malpensa – Malpensa Express |publisher=Malpensaexpress.it |access-date=7 November 2010 |archive-date=18 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018081453/http://www.malpensaexpress.it/en/index.php |url-status=live }}</ref> The airport is located inside the [[Parco naturale lombardo della Valle del Ticino]], a [[nature reserve]] included by [[UNESCO]] in the [[World Network of Biosphere Reserves]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Parco del Ticino |title=Turismo sostenibile |url=https://ente.parcoticino.it/visita-il-parco/come-muoversi-nel-parco/turismo-sostenibile/ |website=ente.parcoticino.it |publisher=Parco Lombardo Valle del Ticino |access-date=8 July 2024 |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Unesco |title=Ticino, Val Grande Verbano |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/mab/ticino-val-grande-verbano |website=unesco.org |publisher=Unesco |access-date=7 July 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Milan Linate Airport]] (LIN) is Milan's city airport, less than {{convert|8|km|0}} from central Milan, and is mainly used for domestic and short-haul international flights. It served 8.6&nbsp;million passengers in 2023 ranking as the 8th airport in Italy for passenger traffic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Statistiche Dati di Traffico Aeroportuale Italiano |url=https://assaeroporti.com/statistiche/ |access-date=22 February 2023 |website=Assaeroporti |language=it-IT |archive-date=8 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208020646/https://assaeroporti.com/statistiche/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Linate Airport is a focus city for [[ITA Airways]] (with Rome Fiumicino Airport as the main hub), and is connected the centre of Milan via the [[Milan Metro Line 4|M4 blue metro line]].
* [[Milan Bergamo Airport]] (BGY) is mainly used for low-cost, charter and cargo flights.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lombardia.portale-infrastrutture.it/infrastruttura.php?id=338|title=Aeroporto di Bergamo – Orio al Serio|access-date=3 February 2024|language=it}}</ref> The airport is located in [[Orio al Serio]], {{cvt|3.7|km}} south-east of [[Bergamo]] and {{cvt|45|km}} north-east of Milan. It is one of [[Ryanair]]'s three main operating bases, along with [[Dublin Airport]] and [[London Stansted Airport]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ryanair |url=https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en |access-date=9 January 2024 |website=www.ryanair.com}}</ref> It served 14.7&nbsp;million passengers in 2023.<ref>{{cite web|title=Real time flights|url=https://www.milanbergamoairport.it/en/|publisher=milanbergamoairport.it|access-date=30 January 2019|archive-date=30 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130043625/https://www.milanbergamoairport.it/en/|url-status=live}}</ref> A bus service operated by ATB connects to the airport, about 10 minutes from the [[Bergamo railway station]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orioaeroporto.it/en/train/|title=Train SACBO|access-date=25 October 2015|archive-date=29 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929144534/http://www.orioaeroporto.it/en/train/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Lastly, [[Bresso Airfield]] is a [[general aviation]] airport, operated by Aero Club Milano.<ref>{{cite web|title=The airport: technical information|url=http://www.aeroclubmilano.it/en/airport/technical-information|publisher=Aero Club Milano|access-date=29 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230060255/http://www.aeroclubmilano.it/en/airport/technical-information|archive-date=30 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since 1960 the airport mostly serves as a general aviation airfield for flying club activity, touristic flights and air taxi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aeroclubmilano.it/|title=Aero Club Milano|access-date=9 February 2024|language=it}}</ref> It also hosts a base of the state helicopter emergency service ''Elisoccorso''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hems-association.com/it/base/7.html | title=Base di elisoccorso Milano &#124; HEMS Association|access-date=9 February 2024|language=it}}</ref>

=== Cycling ===
[[Image:Bike share.jpg|thumb|right|[[BikeMi]] station and bikes along Corso Garibaldi]]
The bicycle is becoming an increasingly important mode of transportation in Milan. Since 2008, the implementation of a city-wide network of bike paths has been initiated, to fight congestion and air pollution. During the COVID pandemic in 2019, 35&nbsp;km of bike lanes were realized on short notice, to relieve pressure on the subway occupation.<ref>{{Cite web|date=28 August 2020|title=La mappa delle piste ciclabili di Milano e 35 chilometri di nuovi itinerari: obiettivo raggiunto a ottobre|url=https://www.mentelocale.it/milano/articoli/85836-mappa-delle-piste-ciclabili-milano-35-chilometri-nuovi-itinerari-obiettivo-raggiunto-ottobre.htm|access-date=5 November 2021|website=mentelocale.it|language=it|archive-date=5 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105125608/https://www.mentelocale.it/milano/articoli/85836-mappa-delle-piste-ciclabili-milano-35-chilometri-nuovi-itinerari-obiettivo-raggiunto-ottobre.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[bike sharing]] system BikeMi operates throughout most of the city and has become increasingly popular. In addition, several commercial dockless bicycle and scooter sharing services are widely available.

== International relations ==

=== Twin towns – sister cities ===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy}}
Milan is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref name=gemellaggi>{{cite web|title=Gemellaggi|url=https://www.comune.milano.it/aree-tematiche/relazioni-internazionali/city-to-city-cooperation/gemellaggi|publisher=Milano|language=it|access-date=17 November 2022|archive-date=17 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117155815/https://www.comune.milano.it/aree-tematiche/relazioni-internazionali/city-to-city-cooperation/gemellaggi|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*{{Flagicon|BRA}} [[São Paulo]], Brazil, since 1961
*{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Chicago]], United States, since 1962
*{{Flagicon|FRA}} [[Lyon]], France, since 1967
*{{Flagicon|RUS}} [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia, since 1967
*{{Flagicon|GER}} [[Frankfurt]], Germany, since 1969
*{{Flagicon|UK}} [[Birmingham]], United Kingdom, since 1974
*{{Flagicon|SEN}} [[Dakar]], Senegal, since 1974
*{{Flagicon|CHN}} Shanghai, China, since 1979
*{{Flagicon|JPN}} [[Osaka]], Japan, since 1981
*{{Flagicon|ISR}} [[Tel Aviv]], Israel, since 1997
*{{Flagicon|PSE}} [[Bethlehem]], Palestine, since 2000
*{{Flagicon|CAN}} [[Toronto]], Canada, since 2003
*{{Flagicon|POL}} [[Kraków]], Poland, since 2003
*{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[City of Melbourne|Melbourne]], Australia, since 2004
*{{Flagicon|KOR}} [[Daegu]], South Korea, since 2015
{{div col end}}

The partnership with Saint Petersburg was suspended in 2012 (a decision taken by the city of Milan), because of the prohibition of the Russian government on "homosexual propaganda".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2012/12/02/in-russia-vietata-propaganda-gay-milano-torino-e-venezia-ritirano-gemellaggio/432838/ |title=Russia banned "gay propaganda". Milan ends twinning |date=2 December 2012 |publisher=Ilfattoquotidiano.it |access-date=14 September 2013 |archive-date=12 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130912173729/http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2012/12/02/in-russia-vietata-propaganda-gay-milano-torino-e-venezia-ritirano-gemellaggio/432838/ |url-status=live}}</ref> However, it was later restored and {{as of|2022|lc=yes}}, St. Petersburg is still listed on Milan's official list of twin towns.<ref name=gemellaggi/>

==People==
{{Main|List of people from Milan}}

===Honorary citizens===
People awarded the [[honorary citizenship]] of Milan are:

{| class="wikitable" width="75%" style="font-size: 85%; border: gray solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse; text-align: middle;"
! style="text-align: left;background:#B0C4DE"|Date
! width="240" style="text-align: left;background:#B0C4DE"|Name
! style="text-align: left;background:#B0C4DE"|Notes
|-
| |24 February 1972 || [[Charlie Chaplin]] (1889–1977) || English comic actor
|-
| |March 1980 || [[Andrei Sakharov]] (1921–1989) || Russian [[nuclear physicist]], [[Soviet dissidents|dissident]] and activist
|-
| |December 1988 || [[Alexander Dubček]] (1921–1992) || [[Czechoslovaks|Czechoslovak]] and [[Slovaks|Slovak]] politician and dissident
|-
| |16 February 1990 || [[Paola Borboni]] (1900–1995) || Italian actress
|-
| |21 October 2004 || [[Rudy Giuliani]] (1944–present) || American politician, former mayor of New York City, and attorney of [[Donald Trump]]
|-
| |3 September 2005 || [[Rania Al-Abdullah]] (1970–present) || Queen consort of [[Jordan]]
|-
| |10 December 2008 || [[Al Gore]] (1948–present) || American politician and former Vice President of the United States
|-
| |18 January 2012 || [[Roberto Saviano]] (1979–present) || Italian journalist and writer
|-
| |4 April 2016 || Nino Di Matteo (1961–present) || Italian magistrate
|-
| |20 October 2016 || [[14th Dalai Lama|Dalai Lama]] (1935–present) || [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan Buddhist]] spiritual leader<ref name="Edwards 2016">{{cite web |last=Edwards |first=Catherine |title=Milan made the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen and China isn't happy |website=The Local |date=20 October 2016 |url=https://www.thelocal.it/20161020/milan-made-the-dalai-lama-an-honorary-citizen-and-china-isnt-happy |access-date=25 November 2018 |archive-date=20 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920084041/https://www.thelocal.it/20161020/milan-made-the-dalai-lama-an-honorary-citizen-and-china-isnt-happy |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Firstpost 2016">{{cite web |title=Milan confers honorary citizenship on visiting Dalai Lama; China 'gravely hurt' |website=Firstpost |date=21 October 2016 |url=https://www.firstpost.com/world/milan-confers-honorary-citizenship-on-visiting-dalai-lama-china-gravely-hurt-3064210.html |access-date=25 November 2018 |archive-date=20 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920091021/https://www.firstpost.com/world/milan-confers-honorary-citizenship-on-visiting-dalai-lama-china-gravely-hurt-3064210.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| |10 December 2020 || [[Patrick Zaki]] (1991–present) || Egyptian student
|}

== See also ==
* [[Biscione]]
* [[History of architecture and art in Milan]]
* [[List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits]]
* [[Outline of Italy]]
* [[Outline of Milan]]

== References ==
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}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite book|title=Anselmo, Conte di Rosate. Istoria milanese al tempo del [[Barbarosa|Barbarossa]] | first=Pietro |last=Beneventi|publisher= Europia}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Milan | volume= 18 |last1= Brown |first1= Horatio Robert Forbes |author1-link= Horatio Brown | last2= Ashby |first2= Thomas |author2-link=Thomas Ashby (archaeologist) | pages = 437–441 |short=1}}
* {{cite book|title=[[The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]] |last=Gibbon|first=Edward|author-link=Edward Gibbon}}
* {{cite book |author1=Jones, A.H.M. |date=1964 |title=The Later Roman Empire, 284–602: A Social, Economic, and Administrative Survey |location=[[Norman, Oklahoma]] |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |url=https://archive.org/details/laterromanempire01jone/page/n5/mode/2up }}
* {{cite book|title= Milano romana |first= Mario |last=Mirabella Roberti |publisher=Rusconi |year=1984}}
* {{cite book|last= Marchesi|title= I percorsi della Storia |publisher=Minerva Italica }}
* {{cite book |title=Milano tra l'età repubblicana e l'età augustea: atti del Convegno di studi – Milano 26–27 Marzo 1999 |location=Milan |publisher=Grafiche Serenissima }}
* {{cite book|title= Milano capitale dell'impero romano: 286–402 d.C. |location=Milan|publisher= Silvana |year=1990}}
* {{cite book|title=Acts of [[international law|international convention]] "Milan Capital", Convegno archeologico internazionale Milano capitale dell'impero romano 1990|location=Milan|author1=Sena Chiesa|author2= Gemma Arslan|author3= Ermanno A.}}
* {{cite book|title= Agostino a Milano: ''il battesimo'' – Agostino nelle terre di Ambrogio|date= 22–24 April 1987 |last=Sordi|display-authors=etal|first= Marta |author-link=Marta Sordi |publisher=Augustinus}}
* {{cite book |last=Torri|first=Monica |title=Milan & The Lakes |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=i0hKAAAACAAJ |access-date=10 March 2010 |date=23 January 2007 |publisher=DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley) |isbn=978-0-7566-2443-9 }}
* {{cite book |last=Welch |first=Evelyn S |title = Art and authority in Renaissance Milan |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=LQV4UPrNnPQC |access-date=10 March 2010 |year=1995 |publisher=[[Yale University Press]], New Haven, Connecticut |isbn=978-0-300-06351-6 }}

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