History And Geography

History

The origins of the city can be traced back to 400 BC when the Gauls settled in the region after defeating the Etruscans. In 222 BC, the Romans conquered the city, annexed it to the Roman Empire and named it ‘Mediolanum'. It was formally recognized as a colony in 89 BC and was made the regional capital in 15 BC. Due to its strategic location, it acquired the name of ‘Roma secunda' over the years. Some years after the 313 AD, many churches were built on the orders of Emperor Constantine. During this time, the first bishop named ‘Ambrogio' was also appointed who had so much influence that the Church became the Ambrosian Church.

The Barbarians captured the city after the fall of the Roman Empire and ruled the city until the Longobards conquered it in 569 AD. During the late eighth century, the church bishops used their influence to forge an alliance with the emperor ‘Ottone of Saxony' who was later crowned as the King of Italy in the church of Sant'Ambrogio. The crowning of the king in a church made his power even more legitimate.

With the growing influence of the church, the Archbishop of Milan supposedly became the most influential political entity in northern Italy in the first half of the year 1000 AD. After a period of political uncertainties, the city became a municipality in 1117 and was freed from the influence of the Archbishop. Many attempts were made later on by the city rulers to capture other municipalities in the nearby area. In response to these attempts, the rulers of other municipalities formed a union to capture Milan. One such attempt was made by Frederick I of Swabia, who formed the Lombard League to fight for the city's independence. The attempt however was not successful and ended after the defeat at Barbarossa in 1176.

The city started developing only after 1200 when its status as a municipality was dissolved and converted into a ‘Seigneury'. The city's importance grew gradually with the extension of the city walls, new building constructions, and the paving of roads inside the city. In 1300, the city was mainly controlled by the Visconti family and the nobleman from Bergamo, Cremona, Piacenza, Brescia and Parma. The city developed at a rapid pace during their reign and many monuments were built such as the famous Duomo in 1386, which soon became the city's symbol. The Visconti families lost its control on the city and were replaced by the Sforza family who bought peace to the city by ending many years of warring against Venice and Florence. During this period, the city progressed in sciences, art and literature, which is proven by the fact that the ‘Court of Ludovico il Moro' was often frequented by Leonardo da Vinci and ‘il Bramante'.

After this, the city came under Spanish rule for more than two centuries starting in 1535 when Charles V came to the throne. The details about the Spanish rule are available in the classic book "I Promessi Sposi" (The Betrothed) written by Alessandro Manzoni. The city came under Australian rule at the beginning of the eighteenth century. It was influenced by Australian culture as the Australians built many monuments such as the La Scala Theater and many neoclassical buildings such as the Arco Della Pace. The Australians lost their control of the city in 1859 and were driven out of the city. After this, the city became a part of the Kingdom of Piedmont, which was later on officially recognized as the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Milan was named as the official economic and cultural capital of Italy, a designation that is applicable even in the present era.

Geography

Milan is located in North Italy, at the center of Po basin. The city has a strategic location in the Lombard plain, at the confluence of several major transportation routes, which has made it the most important international commercial, financial, and industrial center since the middle ages.

The second most populated city in Italy after Rome, it the foremost commercial, financial, and manufacturing center in Italy. It is also the main center of intellectual and artistic life. The city is mostly modern and is surrounded by industrial suburbs. The main business district is home to many tall apartment and office buildings along with widespread residential and industrial sections. In 1964, an underground railway was opened for the public.

The main square in the city is the Piazza del Duomo, which is flanked on one side by the Duomo (cathedral) a huge Gothic structure of white marble, begun in 1386 and completed in 1965. On the other side is the ‘basilica di Sant'Ambrogio', which was built in 386 AD. The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, built in the 15th century is also located nearby. The famous fresco of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is housed in the Dominican monastery, which is adjacent to the church.