second city of Italy
New page
{{TextQuality|75%}}
{{Americana
| previous = Miklosich, Franz von
| next = Milan (Missouri)
| wikipedia = Milan
}}
'''MILAN''', [[../Key to pronunciation|mĭl'ạn]] or
[[../Key to pronunciation|mĭ-lăn']], second city of
Italy, the capital of the province of Milan, an
archiepiscopal city on the Olona, about 90 miles
by rail northeast of Turin. It is situated in a
beautiful and fertile plain between the Adda
and Ticino, which feed several canals, one of
which, encircling a considerable portion of the
interior of the city, divides it into two unequal
parts. The town is built in the form of an
irregular polygon, and is surrounded, except on
the castle side, by a wall or rampart called the
Bastione, encircled on the outside by a fine road
shaded by chestnut-trees. Suburbs have sprung
up beyond this circuit, and the general railway
station is also outside. The city is entered by
11 gates, several of which are magnificent. The
streets leading from these gates are wide, well
paved and lighted and traversed by electric
street car lines; the lateral streets are less
commodious. The houses are built mostly of brick,
but have often a handsome and showy exterior.
The principal street is the Corso Vittorio
Emanuele, a prolongation of the new and handsome
Corso Venezia, together leading from the
cathedral to the Porta Venezia; other good
streets are the Corso Porta Romana, Via
Torino, Via Dante, etc. The chief square is the
Piazza del Duomo, in which stands the Duomo
or cathedral; and another is the Piazza della
Scala. Besides fine public gardens (Giardini
Pubblici) there is a large public park (Parco
Nuovo) occupying an area that was long a
drill-ground, and was previously the site of the
citadel and connected works. This has been
finally laid out and planted, and an artificial lake
and mound have been constructed. Adjoining
these is an amphitheatre, capable of containing
30,000 spectators. The castle — recently
restored and now converted into a museum of
art and antiquities — fronts the park on one
side; at the opposite side is the Porta Sempione
with the fine Arco Sempione or Arco della
Pace, a triumphal arch of white marble.
Among the public edifices of Milan the first
place belongs to the Duomo or cathedral, a
magnificent structure, inferior in magnitude to
Saint Peter's at Rome, but in some respects not
an unworthy rival. It is built of white marble,
and though exhibiting a somewhat incongruous
mixture of styles, in which the ancient Gothic
occasionally gives way to the modern Italian,
is one of the most impressive ecclesiastical
edifices in the world. The Duomo in its present
form was commenced in 1387, and is not yet
entirely completed. Its form is that of a Latin
cross, divided into five naves, terminated by an
octagonal apsis, and supported by 52 octagonal
pilasters of uniform size, except four, which,
having to bear the cupola, are larger. It is 486
feet long, the tower is 356 feet high, it occupies
an area of 14,000 square yards and can hold
40,000 people. Around the exterior are 4,500
niches, of which above 3,000 are already occupied
by statues; in the interior everything is
of the most imposing and gorgeous description.
Among the other remarkable edifices are the
basilica of Sant' Ambrogio, founded by Saint
Ambrose in 387, and though completely repaired
in 1631, still retaining much of its original form
and containing many relics of the ancient building
embedded in its walls; the churches of
Sant' Eustorgio, San Lorenzo, Santa Maria
della Grazie, with a cupola and sacristy by
Bramante, and the celebrated ‘Last Supper’ by
Leonardo da Vinci; Santa Maria della
Passione, a majestic edifice, with excellent paintings
and a magnificent mausoleum; San Paolo;
San Carlo Borromeo, etc. Among the palaces
are the Palazzo Reale or La Corte, adorned
with numerous frescoes and surmounted by a
lofty tower; the archiepiscopal palace, adjoining
the cathedral; the Palazzo di Comando
Militare; the Palazzo Marino, now the Municipio,
a colossal structure; the Palazzo Ciani,
completed in 1861, and adorned with heads of
Victor Emmanuel, Garibaldi, etc.; and the
Palazzo di Brera or Delle Scienze Lettere ed
Arte, containing the Pinacoteca or picture-gallery,
with a very valuable collection of paintings
and statu
t
ary, and containing also the
library of the Academy, 300,000 volumes.
Besides this library Milan possesses the Ambrosian
Library, the earliest, and still one of the most
valuable, public libraries in Europe. There is
also a valuable museum of natural history and
one recently founded, of theatrical relics, a
world-famous conservatory of music, a military
college, a theological seminary, a veterinary
school. The principal structure erected
in recent times is the Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele, a kind of covered street connecting
the Piazza del Duomo with the Piazza of La
Scala Theatre. It is 320 yards long, contains
handsome shops and is adorned with 24 statues
of celebrated Italians. Milan has a number of
theatres; La Scala is the second largest theatre
in Europe, and accommodates 3,600 spectators.
The principal benevolent endowments are the
Ospedale Maggiore (founded 1456), richly
endowed, and occupying a vast range of buildings
in the Gothic style, with accommodation for
4,000 patients, and several other hospitals for
the cure of diseases. Since it formed part of
United Italy no town has more rapidly
increased in commercial and industrial activity
and in population than Milan. The spinning
and throwing of silk employ a large number
of hands. Other important articles of
manufacture are machinery, locomotives and railway
cars, automobiles, boilers, electrical
apparatus, tobacco, cotton, lace, carpets, hats,
glass, earthenware, chemicals, white-lead,
jewelry, etc. Besides these, corn, rice, cheese
and wines are the principal articles of trade.
The municipality is one of the most progressive
in Europe; great street improvements have
been carried out; there is an adequate street
railway service giving communication with
the neighboring communes; and, while there
is still much overcrowding and congestion of
population, the death rate has been greatly {{hws|re|reduced.}}
{{hwe|duced.|reduced.}} Milan is the see of an archbishop, the
seat of courts of primary resort, criminal and
mercantile courts and a Court of Appeal for
all Lombardy. The United States is
represented by a consul.
The foundation of Milan is attributed to the
Insubrian Gauls; but the first distinct notice
of it occurs 221 {{smaller|B.C.}}, when it was subdued by
the Romans, under whom it acquired so much
importance, that in the division of the empire
attributed to Constantine the Great it ranks
as the second city of Italy. In the middle of
the 5th century it was sacked by the Huns
under Attila, and again in the following century
by the Goths. Greater horrors yet awaited it;
and the Goths, who had been driven out by
Belisarius, having regained possession by the
aid of the Burgundians, gave it up to the
flames and put almost all its inhabitants to the
sword. Rebuilt, it again became very flourishing
under the Lombards and Charlemagne.
Arrogance grew with its prosperity, and Milan
lorded it so haughtily over the neighboring
towns and republics, that in 11C2, when the
Emperor Frederick I, whose supremacy it
refused to acknowledge, had resolved to take
summary vengeance, the inhabitants of Pavia,
Cremona, Lodi, Como and Novara eagerly
hastened to the task and razed it to the ground.
The cruelties practised produced a reaction, and
in 1167 the famous Lombard League was
formed at Pontita, and among other important
results succeeded in bringing back the Milanese;
and the city, again rebuilt, became even
more populous and influential than before. It
long continued, however, to be torn by internal
factions, headed by the leading nobility, among
whom the Visconti at last gained the ascendency,
and ruled it from 1395 till 1447. They
were succeeded by the Sforzas, whose rule
ended in 1535. Milan passed next into the
possession of the Spaniards. At the close of the
War of Succession it was allotted to Austria
(1714). Under Bonaparte it became the capital
of the Cisalpine Republic, of the Italian
Republic, and of the Italian kingdom. In 1815 it
was restored to Austria, and continued the capital
of the Austro-Italian kingdom until 1859,
when by the Peace of Villafranca Lombardy
was ceded to Piedmont. Pop. about 663,000.
'''Bibliography'''.— Ady, C. M., ‘A History of
Milan under the Sforza’ (New York 1907);
Beltrami, L., ‘Reminiscenze di storia e d'arte
nella città di Milano’ (Milan 1862-67); Noyes,
Ella, ‘Story of Milan’ (in the ‘Mediæval Town
Series,’ London 1908); Shaw, Albert,
‘Municipal Government on the Continent of
Europe’ (New York 1906); Valeri, F. M.
‘Milano’ (Bergamo 1906).