Milan, host city of the World Expo 2015, is one
of the most important in Italy, both by its population and by its strategical economic importance.
 |
| Milan, an European crossroad |
 |
| Milan, City Center |
Capital of the Lombardy region, situated in
the middle of the plains of the Pô, Milan counts approximately 1 340 000
inhabitants in 2014. By including its urban area, it constitutes the biggest
urban area of the country. Former capital of the Western Roman Empire, Milan is the
industrial, commercial, financial and university heart of Italy nowadays. Siege of
the Italian stock exchange, it represents a big center of attractivity for the headquarters
of companies, in particular in the sector of the fashion and the design. Indeed,
Milan is one of the world fashion capitals : Milan welcomes
one of the major « fashion weeks » and the International fair of the
piece of furniture.
 |
| Piazza del Duomo |
Near 185,000 people live in Milan to study in
institutions such as the prestigious Bocconi University, primary site of
training of Italian political and economic elites. Leading tourist destination,
with nearly two million tourists each year, it houses an important cultural
heritage, made up of squares (Piazza del Duomo, Piazza Mercanti), palaces built during the Renaissance (Royal Palace of Milan, Palazzo della Ragione, Casa
Panigarola), its famous opera (La Scala) and many museums.
 |
| Palazzo della Ragione |
 |
| La Scala |
The city is served by three airports: the
international airport of Malpensa, Linate and Bergamo-Orio al Serio.
Overall,
the three airports handle an annual traffic of about 34 million passengers, and
constitute the second largest airport system in Italy after Rome.
We will go back to this theme later in a post that'll be dedicated to transportation in Milan, and especially to its two international train station and its entire rail network.
We will go back to this theme later in a post that'll be dedicated to transportation in Milan, and especially to its two international train station and its entire rail network.
Being an exceptionally cultural city, Milan has attracted
various of history's greatest artists including people such as
Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, Bramante, Arcimboldo, .... During Austrian
domination, the city witnessed the development of many art schools, as well as
its ballet and opera theatre: Teatro Regio Ducal. Mozart composed three operas in
this theater: Mitridate, re di Ponto (1770); Ascanio in Alba (1771); and Lucio
Silla (1772).
 |
| Vertumnus, Archimboldo, 1590. |
.jpg) |
| Fruitbasket, Le Caravaggio, 1595. |
 |
| Fight between a dragon and a lion, Leonard Da Vinci, about 1478. |
