Culture of Milan

Duomo di Milano

(Milan Cathedral) is perhaps the most iconic of all Milanese cultural landmarks.

The Kiss, a famous painting from the Romantic period by Francesco Hayez found in the Pinacoteca di Brera

, one of the city's most prestigious and famous art galleries

Having been ruled by several countries over the centuries, Milanese culture is eclectic and borrows elements from many other countries, including Austria,^[1] Spain^[1] and France.^[1] Similarities between these places and Milan can be noticed through the language,^[2] architecture,^{[citation needed]} cuisine^[3] and general culture^{[citation needed]} of these countries.

In the 18th century,

, additionally highlighted by the 1906 World Exposition, which was held in the city), and remained a prominent city with regard to a major intellectual scene.

After World War II, Milan was highly affected by the Italian economic miracle, or il boom, and attracted a wave of immigrants from Southern Italy, who sought work in the prosperous city.^[5] By then an important centre for finance and design, the metropolis grew into a major fashion capital in the 1980s. In the 2000s Milan still remains one of the country's most important cultural, media and economic centres; its prominence is extended worldwide, and it is recognised as an Alpha global city. The city additionally hosted the Expo 2015. Milan is traditionally referred to as the moral capital of Italy, especially due to the city's perceived work ethic.^[5]

Milan today is an international city, with numerous

.

Language

In addition to

language—that is to say the urban variety of Western Lombard, which is not to be confused with the Milanese-influenced regional variety of the Italian language.

In Italian-speaking contexts, Milanese is (like the other non-Italian language varieties spoken within the borders of the Italian Republic) generically called a "dialect". This is often incorrectly understood to mean a dialect of Italian, which actually is not the case.^{[citation needed]} Milanese and Italian are distinct Romance languages and are not mutually intelligible.^{[citation needed]} Milanese is ^{[according to whom?]} Western Lombard variety and is intelligible to speakers of other neighbouring Western Lombard varieties. It should not be confused with the Milanese dialect of Italian, or with Western Lombard as a whole, which is sometimes referred to as "Milanese".

Like other dialects of Western Lombard, Milanese is a Romance language, related to French, Romansh, and Italian.

Dictionaries, grammar books, literature and a recent translation of the

are available in Milanese.

People

Throughout history, Milan has boasted numerous people of great influence who came from or resided in the city. Renowned Milanese artists include

.

Architecture

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Roman and early Christian monuments

Few significant works of art have survived from the Roman era in Lombardy and the adjacent areas. Though the Roman Empire played an important role in the city's administration, artifacts of the Great Migrations and the Roman Germanic invasions were largely destroyed. In recent decades, there has been archaeological research concerning a number of ancient structures found under the city: city walls, the ruins of the product, and the ruins of the amphitheatre.

More remains of the culture of

Romanesque and Gothic

Over the centuries, when the Romanesque and the Gothic style spread throughout Europe and Italy, Lombardy was a leading location of the style. Thus, the Lombard style of Romanesque art was created. The style was mainly diffused in Milan, Pavia, Cremona and other major cities. Milan introduced the cross-shaped basilica, having two stems form an integral unit as in the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio.

The Lombard style held a greater role in further development of the building structure from the vault, with the pillars and columns. This trend was strongly influenced by the development of Romanesque architecture in Europe. Very typical of this style is the square bell-tower, such as in the San Satiro. The town halls and civic spirit of Lombardy-style houses were built. These features of the structural elements for decoration highlight the abundant plant and animal motifs.

The local architecture has gained importance in the era of Romanesque and Gothic sculptures and Lombard frescos as well.

Gothic, the 12th-century architectural style, also established itself in Lombardy. A notable example is the Chiaravalle Abbey. Gothic architecture borrowed elements from the Romanesque structure, which remained the same, but the openings were wider.^[6]

Renaissance

The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci

's famous fresco in the Santa Maria delle Grazie Convent

The first of the early Renaissance works in the city include the

helped to spread the Renaissance style.

Baroque

Lombard art in the

).

19th-century art

18th-century architecture in Milan was very different from architecture in other Italian cities, such as Tuscany and Venice. Works by Giuseppe Piermarini, including the Palazzo Belgioioso or La Scala opera house belong to the Neoclassical period. Lombardy's most outstanding sculptors of the age were Luigi Cagnola and Luigi Pollak. Francesco Hayez was an example of a major Milanese artist of the period.

20th-century art

During the 20th century, Milan was one of the main centers of Italian futurism and a few major artists such as Gino Severini, Giacomo Balla, Umberto Boccioni resided or worked there. Mussolini, like in several Italian cities, also launched a grandiose building project in Milan, such as the central railway station building. After the disastrous bombardments of World War II there followed a period of rapid reconstruction, and modern office buildings adjacent to the medieval cathedrals were built, such as the Torre Velasca. Milan is famous for being home of the Pirelli Tower, which is one of Europe's oldest skyscrapers.^[6]

San Siro Stables

San Siro Stables, also known as Scuderie De Montel were built between 1914 and 1924 by De Montel, a Jewish Milanese aristocrat. In 1938 following the application of racial laws in Italy the government took possession of the buildings. In 2006 there was a proposal to build a thermal bath over the area, but the City Council of Milan canceled the project due to lack of funds.^[7]

Main sights

Sforza Castle

Santa Maria delle Grazie

Milan is one of the major artistic centres of northern Italy. Its chief landmarks include:

• The Duomo
  , the world's largest collection of marble statues with the widely visible golden Madonna statue on top of the spire, la Madunina (little Madonna), the symbol of Milan.
• La Scala
  ).
• The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a large, covered arcade linking the Duomo's piazza with the Teatro alla Scala.
• The Castello Sforzesco and the Parco Sempione.
• The Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio
• The Palaeo-Christian Basilica of San Lorenzo
• The
  Brera Academy of Fine Arts
  .
• The church of
  Santa Maria delle Grazie, which houses one of the most famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper
  (L'ultima cena or Il cenacolo).
• The church of
  Bramante
• The Cimitero Monumentale di Milano.
• The
  Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Poldi Pezzoli, the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum
  and the Musei del Castello galleries, which host a great number of pictorial masterpieces.

Education

Teatro alla Scala

Milan is home to numerous universities and other institutions of higher learning:

State universities

• Università degli Studi di Milano
  Faculties: Agriculture, Arts and Philosophy, Law, Mathematical-Physical-Natural Sciences, Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy, Political Science, Sport and Exercise Science, Veterinary Medicine
• University of Milan Bicocca
  Faculties: Economics; Educational Science; Law; Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences; Medicine and Surgery; Psychology; Sociology; Statistical Sciences

Science and medical

• Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
• Tethys Research Institute

Architecture and engineering

• Politecnico di Milano
  Statal University - 17 Departments

Business, economic and social

• Bocconi University
• Scuola Superiore di Direzione Aziendale–Bocconi
• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Language, art and music

• Accademia d’Arti e Mestieri dello Spettacolo alla Scala
• Brera Academy Academy of Fine Arts of Brera
• Università I.U.L.M.
• Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti Milano - NABA
• Conservatorio Superiore "G. Verdi" di Milano
• Civica Scuola di Musica (Municipal Music School)
• Scuola Beato Angelico

Actor and theatre schools

• Scuole Civiche di Milano Politecnico della Cultura, delle Arti e delle Lingue
• Piccolo Teatro di Milano
• Accademia dei Filodrammatici

Fashion and design

• Domus Academy, Postgraduate School of Design
• Istituto Europeo di Design
• Istituto Marangoni
• Politecnico di Milano - Facoltà del Design
• SPD Scuola Politecnica Di Design

Literature

In the late eighteenth century, and throughout the nineteenth century, Milan was an important centre for intellectual discussion and literary creativity. The

was inspired by a Napoleonic law which—against the will of many of its inhabitants—was being extended to the city.

In the third decade of the 19th century, Alessandro Manzoni wrote his novel I Promessi Sposi, considered the manifesto of Italian Romanticism, which found in Milan its centre. 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

, was born in Sicily but wrote his most important books in Milan.

Music and performing arts

Milan is a major nationwide and international centre of the performing arts, most notably

have been formed.

Science

Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano

Milan has for a long time been an important national and European scientific centre. As one of the early-industrialised Italian cities, modern science in the Milan developed in the late-19th century and the early-20th century, when the city became one of the so-called "laboratory cities", along with Brussels, London, Paris and other major economic and industrial centres on the continent.^[9] Following serious competition from the neighbouring scientific atheneum of Pavia (where Albert Einstein spent some of his study years), Milan started to develop an advanced technological and scientific sector, and began to found numerous academies and institutions.^[9] Milan will host an interesting project called "Milano, City of Science" (Milano, Città delle Scienze in Italian), which will be held in the International Exhibition of Sempione. Science-related events which also occurred in Milan was the European Union Contest for Young Scientists, held in the city on 13 September 1997 at the Science Fair in the Fondazione Stelline.^[10] Probably the most important and ancient observatory in Milan is the Brera Astronomical Observatory, which was founded by the Jesuits in 1764, and was run by government ever since a law was passed in 1785.

Fashion

Verdi

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele

.

In 2009, Milan was regarded as the world

was even born here, helping to cultivate its position as a world fashion capital.

Design

Milan is one of the international capitals of industrial and modern

Milan also hosts major design and architecture-related events and venues, such as the "Fuori Salone" and the "Salone del Mobile".

In the 1950s and 60s, being the main industrial centre of Italy and one of mainland Europe's most progressive and dynamic cities, Milan became, along with Turin, Italy's capital of post-war design and architecture. Skyscrapers, such as the Pirelli Tower and the Torre Velasca were constructed, and architects such as Bruno Munari, Lucio Fontana, Enrico Castellani and Piero Manzoni, to name a few, either lived or worked in the city.^[13]

Media

Milan is the base of operations for many local and nationwide communication services and businesses, such as newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations.

Newspapers

Magazines

Radio stations

Nightlife

Milan is a renowned city in Europe for its nightlife.^[14] The city is particularly well known for its c. 6pm "Happy Hour" - that is, a time in which hotels, restaurants and clubs are filled with people attending them for an aperitif (aperitivo), which is usually a light snack and a drink,^[15] after which, the traditional Italian "passegiata" is held, which is a social event in which some people promenade the streets, chatting with friends or window shopping.^[16] The "Milanese nightlife" spans from about 11 o'clock until 4 in the morning, and is usually held in the city's plethora of discothèques, clubs, restaurants and jazz venues. The most popular nightlife areas include the Brera district, where several modern nightclubs and bars can be found,^[15] the area around the Navigli, once the city's old industrial canals, but today a youthful nightlife area and the famous Leoncavallo, just near to the Porta Ticinese.^[17] Apart from the specifically designed nightclubs and discos, the Centri sociali, or social centres, are very popular with adolescents, since they are relatively inexpensive, and host a variety of entertainment activities, from heavy rock music, to light 1960s pop and cinematic venues.^[16] Milan's clubs and night-time musical venues are usually concentrated around jazz and rock music. Usually, nightclubs are at their busiest on Saturday evenings, and at their least (and in some cases, shut) on Mondays.^[16]

Festivity

Holidays

• March 18-March 22: Commemoration of the 1848 revolution or the five Days of Milan.
• April 25: Milan's liberation from German occupation during World War II.
• December 7: Feast of Saint Ambrose (Festa di Sant'Ambrogio).
• December 12: Commemoration of the Piazza Fontana bombings.

Events and decorations

There are several important and/or symbolic events in Milan during the year. On 6 January, there is the "Corteo dei Magi", an annual epiphany procession which goes from the church of Sant'Eustorgio all the way to the Piazza del Duomo and the city's Cathedral.^[19] Other events include the "Fiera di Senigalla", a weekly traditional fair held on Saturdays, selling different objects, such as bicycles, antiques, books^[19] and also different objects from around the world, reflecting Milan's multi-ethnic society, along the Darsena or the Brera Antique Market (Mercato dell'Antiquariato di Brera), which sells different antiquaries, jewels, local produce, furnishings or vintage objects held in the Brera district.^[19] In February, the Chinese New Year is also commonly celebrated in Milan's Chinese district, with a colourful festival. In April, Milan hosts its main design fair in the Piazza XXIV Maggio, the "Fuori Salone",^[20] and in other times of the year a prestigious fashion week twice a year, the "Milano Jazzin' Festival", in which several local and international Blues, Jazz and pop singers re-unite in the Civic Arena,^[20] and the Milan Food Week, in which the city's gastronomical history is celebrated,^[20] the Milano in Sport week, and the Milan Film Festival, held in the Piccolo Teatro on the Via Dante celebrating Italian and foreign film and motion pictures.^[20]

Christmas time is usually full of events in Milan, including the Oh Bej, Oh Bej market, one of the city's oldest selling traditional produce, objects and food. The city is renowned for its Christmas lights, which decorate the city during the Christmas period until 7 January. All the city's public buildings, streets, squares and most of the shops are decorated with traditional lights and similar decorations. In 2007, however, the Milanese complained because they believed that the public spending on Christmas lights (€1 million) was too much for what they considered were not as "designer-style" as those of Turin.^[18]

Religion

Milan's population, like that of Italy as a whole, is overwhelmingly

Ambrosian rite

Main article:

Ambrosian rite

Milan has its own historic Catholic rite known as the Ambrosian Rite (Italian: Rito ambrosiano). It varies slightly from the typical Catholic rite (the Roman, used in all other western regions), with some differences in the liturgy and mass celebrations, and in the calendar (for example, the date for the beginning of lent is celebrated some days after the common date, so the carnival has different date). The Ambrosian rite is also practiced in other surrounding locations in Lombardy and in the Swiss canton of Ticino.

Another important difference concerns the liturgical music. The Gregorian chant was completely unused in Milan and surrounding areas, because the official one was its own Ambrosian chant, definitively established by the Council of Trent (1545–1563) and earlier than the Gregorian.^[29] To preserve this music there has developed the unique schola cantorum, a college, and an Institute called PIAMS (Pontifical Ambrosian Institute of Sacred Music), in partnership with the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music (PIMS) in Rome.^[30]

Cuisine

Like most cities in Italy, Milan and its surrounding area has its own regional cuisine, which, as it is typical for Lombard cuisines, uses more frequently

from the namesake town nearby, although today the major gorgonzola producers operate in Piedmont.

On addition to a unique cuisine, Milan has several world-renowned

.

Cinema

Several (especially Italian) films have been set in Milan, including "

".

Sports

The city hosted, among other events, the

in 1980.

. The former is normally referred to as "Mìlan" (notice the stress on the first syllable, unlike the English and Milanese name of the city), the latter as "Inter".

Milan is the only city in Europe whose teams have won both the European Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. Both teams play at Giuseppe Meazza - San Siro Stadium (85,700). Many of the strongest Italian football players were born in Milan, in the surrounding metropolitan area, or in Lombardy: Valentino Mazzola, Paolo Maldini, Giuseppe Meazza, Giacinto Facchetti, Gigi Riva, Gaetano Scirea, Giuseppe Bergomi, Walter Zenga, Antonio Cabrini, Roberto Donadoni, Gianluca Vialli, Silvio Piola, Giampiero Boniperti, Gabriele Oriali, Giovanni Trapattoni and Franco Baresi as well as many others.

• The famous
  Monza Formula One circuit is located near the city, inside a wide park. It is one of the world's oldest car racing circuits. The capacity for the F1
  races is currently around 137,000 spectators, although in the 1950s the stands could hold more than 250,000. It has hosted an F1 race nearly every year since the first year of competition, exception made of 1980.
• Olimpia Milano is a successful European basketball team. It is the most important Italian team and one of the top 5 in Europe. Olimpia play at the Forum (capacity 14,000)
• Rhinos Milano is the oldest American football team in Milan (and in Italy) and have won five Italian Super Bowls. They are one of the five foundation clubs of the AIFA (Associazione Italiana American Football), established first championship in 1981. They also are one of the seven foundation clubs of the Italian Football League.
• Milano 1946 is the oldest baseball club in Milan and have won eight Italian Scudetti. Since 2019 there is also a softball team, now playing in "serie B"
• The
  National Championships and are the most famous^{[citation needed]} and important^{[citation needed}
  ] Rugby team in Italy.
• Different ice hockey teams from Milan have won 30 National Championships between them. The
  national championships, the Alpenliga
  and several Coppa Italia, and are the leaders of that sport in Italy. They play at the Agora Stadium (capacity 4,500) during the regular season, and at the Forum during playoffs
• Every year, Milan hosts the Bonfiglio Trophy Under 18 Tennis Tournament. It is the most important youth tournament in the world, and is played at the Milan Tennis Club. The central court has a capacity of 8000. Past winners include Tacchini, Jan Kodeš, Adriano Panatta, Corrado Barazzutti, Moreno, Björn Borg, Smid, Ivan Lendl, Guy Forget, Jim Courier, Goran Ivanišević, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and Guillermo Coria.

Milan and Lombardy are candidates for the Winter Olympic Games of 2026 ("Milan-Cortina 2026").^[33]

Stadia

• Autodromo Nazionale Monza
  - car and motorcycle racing - 137,000
• San Siro - only football; Milan and Inter - 85,700
• Arena Civica - Athletics, Rugby, Football, American Football 30,000
• Brianteo - Athletics, Football - 18,568
• Ippodromo del Trotter - Horse Racing - 16,000
• Ippodromo del Galoppo - Horse Racing - 15,000
• JF Kennedy - Baseball - 3,000
• Datch Forum
  - Basketball, Ice Hockey, Volleyball, Music - 9,000 to 12,000
• Velodromo Vigorelli - Cycling, American Football - 8,000
• PalaSharp
  (formerly MazdaPalace)- Basketball, Volleyball - 8,500 to 9,000
• PalaLido - Basketball - 5,000
• Agorà - Ice Hockey - 4,000
• Nuovo Giuriati - Rugby - 4,000

There are other stadiums and multiuse palaces located in the metropolitan area, the biggest being Monza Brianteo Stadium (18,000 seats), the PalaDesio (10,000) and Geas Stadium (8,500).

Club	League	Sport	Venue	Established	Championships
A.C. Milan	Serie A	Football	San Siro - Giuseppe Meazza	1899	4 World Club cups; 7 European championship; 18 Italian championship; 2 Cup Winners' Cup
F.C. Internazionale Milano	Serie A	Football	San Siro - Giuseppe Meazza	1908	2 World Club cups; 3 European championship; 18 Italian championship; 3 Uefa Cup
Olimpia Milano	Serie A	Basketball	Datchforum	1936	1 World cup; 3 European championship; 25 Italian championship; 3 Cup Winners' Cup; 2 Korac cup
H.C. Milano/Milano Vipers	Serie A	Ice Hockey	Agorà	1924	2 European championship; 20 Italian championship
H.C. Diavoli/Devils	Serie A	Ice Hockey	–	1930	3 European championship; 7 Italian championship
Amatori Rugby Milano	Serie B	Rugby	Stadio Giuriati	1928	18 Italian championship
Rhinos Milano	Serie A2	American Football	Velodromo Vigorelli-Maspes	1976	5 Italian championship

References