Milan (Italian: Milano) is the capital of Lombardy, a region in northern Italy, and the headquarters of the Metropolitan City of Milan. It is the second-largest city in Italy, after Rome, with a population of 1,362,863 in 2026. The larger area around Milan is the biggest in Italy and the fourth-largest in the European Union, with about 6.55 million people. Milan is known as Italy's economic center, and its area contributes about 20% of the country's total economic value.

Milan was founded around 590 BC by a Celtic group. The Romans took control of the city in 222 BC and changed its name to Mediolanum. In the late 300s AD, Milan briefly served as the capital of the Western Roman Empire. During the Late Medieval period, the wealthy Duchy of Milan played a major role in the Renaissance. In the Early Modern period, Milan was a key center of the Italian Enlightenment. Its efforts to resist Austrian rule helped unite the Kingdom of Italy. From the 19th century onward, Milan led Italy’s industrial and financial growth.

Milan is a major global hub for industry, finance, science, communication, fashion, art, and tourism. It is classified as an "Alpha" city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. Milan’s business district includes Borsa Italiana, Italy’s main stock exchange (part of Euronext, the world’s sixth-largest stock market), and the headquarters of eight companies listed in the Fortune 500 Europe ranking. As of 2023, Milan and its special metropolitan area have the largest GDP and the highest per-person GDP of any Italian province.

Milan is a global fashion center and a top tourist destination, one of the most visited cities in the world. It is ranked second in Italy after Rome, fifth in Europe, and sixteenth globally. The city is home to many museums and art galleries with some of the world’s most important collections, including works by Leonardo da Vinci. Milan has many schools, including academies and universities that educate 11% of all students in Italy. The city hosts major events like Milan Fashion Week and the Milan Furniture Fair, which are among the world’s largest in terms of revenue and visitors. Milan has many luxury hotels and is the fifth city with the most Michelin-starred restaurants. It hosted the Universal Exposition in 1906 and 2015. In sports, Milan is home to two of Europe’s most successful football teams, AC Milan and Inter Milan, and a top basketball team, Olimpia Milano. The city also helped host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in 2026.

Etymology

Milan was first named Medhelanon in the Celtic language. Later, the ancient Romans changed the name to Mediolanum. In Celtic, "medhe-" meant "middle" or "center," and "-lanon" was similar to the Latin word "-planum," which meant "plain." This suggests the name Medhelanon might have meant "a settlement in the middle of a plain" or "a place between rivers," due to the nearby Olona, Lambro, Seveso rivers, and Nirone and Pudiga streams.

The Latin name Mediolanum comes from the words "medio" (meaning "middle") and "planus" (meaning "plain"). Some scholars think the ending "-lanum" comes from the Celtic word "lan," meaning an enclosed or marked area. This word is related to the Welsh word "llan," which means "a sanctuary or church," and to the English and German word "land." This suggests Mediolanum might have been a central town or sacred place for a Celtic tribe.

Many places in ancient France had names like "Mediolanum," such as Saintes (called Mediolanum Santonum) and Évreux (called Mediolanum Aulercorum). Another theory connects the name to a symbol of the city, a "scrofa semilanuta," which was an ancient emblem of a "half-woolly sow." This idea appears in Andrea Alciato's book Emblemata (1584), which includes a woodcut showing the first raising of Milan's city walls. In the image, a boar is lifted from an excavation, and the name Mediolanum is explained as "half-wool" in Latin and French.

According to this theory, Milan was founded by two Celtic groups, the Bituriges and the Aedui, who used a ram and a boar as symbols. The city's emblem is described as a boar with both sharp bristles and smooth wool. Alciato attributes this description to Ambrose.

History

Around 590 BC, a Celtic tribe from the Insubres group and the Golasecca culture settled the city. They named it Medhelanon. According to a story written by the Roman historian Titus Livy between 27 and 9 BC, a Gaulish king named Ambicatus sent his nephew, Bellovesus, to northern Italy. Bellovesus led a group of people from different Gaulish tribes and is said to have founded the settlement during the time of the Roman monarchy, when the king Tarquinius Priscus ruled. Roman records suggest Tarquinius Priscus reigned from 616 to 579 BC.

The city of Medhelanon developed around a sanctuary, which was the oldest part of the village. This sanctuary was a wooded area shaped like an ellipse with a central open space. It was aligned with specific points in the sky. Because of this, it was used for religious gatherings, especially during important events. The sanctuary of Medhelanon was an ellipse measuring 443 meters (1,453 feet) by 323 meters (1,060 feet) and was located near Piazza della Scala.

The city’s layout was influenced by the paths and shape of the sanctuary. These patterns remained visible in some areas until the 19th century. For example, the modern streets of Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Piazza del Duomo, Piazza Cordusio, and Via Broletto follow a curvilinear path that may match the southern side of the ancient sanctuary’s ellipse.

One side of the sanctuary was aligned with the heliacal rising of Antares, a star. The other side was aligned with the heliacal rising of Capella. The rising of Capella occurred on March 24, a date linked to a Celtic spring festival. The rising of Antares happened on November 11, which marked the beginning and end of the Celtic year and coincided with the sunrise on the winter solstice. About two centuries after the sanctuary was built, the first homes were constructed around it. Medhelanon then evolved from a religious center to an urban and military center, becoming a full village.

The first homes were built just south of the sanctuary, near the modern Royal Palace of Milan. Later, as the town grew, important buildings were added. A temple dedicated to the goddess Belisama was built near the modern Milan Cathedral. A fortified structure with military functions, surrounded by a moat, was built near the modern Via Moneta and Piazza San Sepolcro.

During the Roman Republic, the Romans, led by consul Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus, captured the settlement in 222 BC. The Insubres, the Celtic tribe that lived there, surrendered to Rome. The Romans later conquered the entire region, naming it "Cisalpine Gaul" (Gallia Cisalpina), meaning "Gaul this side of the Alps." The city’s name was changed to Mediolanum. In Gaulish, medio- meant "middle" and -lanon was the Celtic equivalent of Latin -planum, meaning "plain." Thus, Mediolanon meant "settlement in the middle of the plain." Mediolanum became the most important city in Cisalpine Gaul. In 49 BC, it was granted the status of municipium under the Lex Roscia.

The ancient Celtic settlement was replaced by the Roman city, which was later replaced by the medieval city. The city of Milan grew around the original Celtic settlement. The Celtic name Medhelanon was eventually replaced, as shown by a piece of Celtic graffiti found on a section of the Roman walls of Milan. In 286 AD, the Roman Emperor Diocletian moved the capital of the Western Roman Empire to Mediolanum. Diocletian himself lived in Nicomedia, the capital of the Eastern Empire, while his colleague Maximian ruled from Milan.

During the Augustan age, Mediolanum was known for its schools, a theatre, and an amphitheatre (129.5 x 109.3 meters), the third largest in Roman Italy after the Colosseum in Rome and the amphitheatre in Capua. A large stone wall surrounded the city during Caesar’s time and was expanded in the late third century AD by Maximian. Maximian built a large circus (470 x 85 meters) and the Baths of Hercules, a complex of imperial palaces and other buildings. He also added a new, larger stone wall (about 4.5 km long) with 24-sided towers. A monumental area with twin towers was included in the construction of the convent of San Maurizio Maggiore, one of which remains 16.6 meters high.

It was from Mediolanum that Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in AD 313, granting religious freedom across the Roman Empire. This allowed Christianity to become the dominant religion. Constantine was in Mediolanum to celebrate the wedding of his sister to the Eastern Emperor Licinius. In 402 AD, the Visigoths besieged the city, and Emperor Honorius moved the imperial residence to Ravenna. In 452 AD, Attila, King of the Huns, attacked and destroyed Milan. The city’s imperial past ended in 539 AD during the Gothic War, when Uraias, a relative of the Ostrogoth king Witiges, attacked Milan, causing heavy losses. The Lombards took Ticinum (modern Pavia) as their capital in 572 and left early-medieval Milan to be governed by its archbishops.

After the Visigoth siege in 402 AD, the imperial residence moved to Ravenna. Attila devastated the city in 452 AD. In 539 AD, the Ostrogoths conquered and destroyed Milan during the Gothic War against the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.

Geography

Milan is located in the northwest part of the Po Valley, about halfway between the Po River to the south and the foothills of the Alps with the large lakes (Como, Maggiore, and Lugano) to the north. The Ticino River is to the west, and the Adda River is to the east. The city's land is flat, and its highest point is 122 meters (400 feet) above sea level.

The city's official area, called the administrative comune, covers about 181 square kilometers (70 square miles). In 2025, this area had a population of 1,366,155 people, with 7,520 people living in each square kilometer. Milan's urban area extends beyond the city limits. The larger administrative area, called the Metropolitan City of Milan, covers 1,575 square kilometers (608 square miles). In 2024, this area had a population of about 3,245,459 people, with 2,067 people living in each square kilometer. The entire metropolitan region had more than 6.1 million people in 2025.

The city's center has a circular layout shaped by the Navigli, a system of old canals that are now mostly covered. The city's suburbs have grown mainly to the north, taking in many nearby towns along roads leading to Varese, Como, Lecco, and Bergamo. In the 21st century, the Navigli area has become a busy place with many homes, restaurants, and bars. It is also known for being a hub for artists.

Milan has a climate with four seasons, hot summers, and cold winters, classified as humid subtropical (Cfa). Its weather is similar to other inland plains in northern Italy. The Alps and Apennine Mountains act as natural barriers, protecting the city from cold air and wind from northern Europe and the sea.

In winter, average daily temperatures can drop below freezing (0°C or 32°F), and snow can fall. Between 1961 and 1990, the average snowfall in Milan was 25 centimeters (10 inches), with a record of 90 centimeters (35 inches) in January 1985. In the suburbs, the average snowfall was 36 centimeters (14 inches). The city receives snow about seven days a year.

Milan used to have thick fog in winter, but this has decreased since the early 2000s due to the removal of rice paddies and the urban heat island effect. Sometimes, Foehn winds cause sudden temperature increases. For example, on January 22, 2012, the high temperature reached 16°C (61°F), and on February 22, 2012, it reached 21°C (70°F). In winter, air pollution often rises because cold air stays close to the ground, making Milan one of Europe's most polluted cities.

Summers in Milan are hot and humid, with temperatures sometimes exceeding 35°C (95°F). Due to high humidity and lack of wind, nights stay muggy. Summers usually have clear skies and more than 13 hours of daylight. When rain occurs, it often comes with thunderstorms and hail.

Spring and autumn are usually pleasant, with temperatures between 10°C and 20°C (50°F and 68°F). These seasons have more rainfall, especially in April and May. Humidity levels range from 45% (comfortable) to 95% (very humid) throughout the year.

Winds are generally light, with speeds between 0 and 14 km/h (0 and 9 mph) most of the year. Stronger winds, up to 29 km/h (18 mph), can occur during summer thunderstorms or spring windstorms caused by Tramontane winds from the Alps or Bora-like winds from the north. Because Milan is surrounded by mountains on three sides, it is one of the least windy cities in Europe.

Administration

The City Council (Consiglio Comunale) is the law-making group for Italian cities. In cities with more than one million people, the council has 48 members who are elected every five years using a proportional system. These elections happen at the same time as the mayoral elections. The executive group, called the City Committee (Giunta Comunale), has 12 members known as assessors. This group is chosen and led by the mayor, who is directly elected by voters. The current mayor of Milan is Giuseppe Sala, an independent who leads a centre-left alliance supported by the Democratic Party.

The city of Milan is divided into nine Borough Councils (Consigli di Municipio). This change reduced the number of districts from 20 before a 1999 reform. Each Borough Council has its own Council and President, who are elected at the same time as the city mayor. Local rules are based on the Italian Constitution (Article 114), the Municipal Statute, and laws like Legislative Decree 267/2000, which outlines local government operations. After a 2016 reform, Borough Councils can provide nonbinding advice to the mayor on many topics. They also manage local services such as schools, social programs, waste collection, roads, parks, libraries, and local businesses. These councils receive separate funding to support their work.

Milan is the capital of the Metropolitan City of Milan. Since January 1, 2015, Milan’s urban area is part of 15 Metropolitan municipalities, which are new administrative groups designed to improve local government efficiency and reduce costs by better organizing services like transportation, schools, and environmental protection. The mayor of Milan also serves as the Metropolitan Mayor (Sindaco metropolitano) and leads the Metropolitan Council, which includes 24 mayors from cities within the Metropolitan area. Giuseppe Sala has held this role since June 21, 2016.

Milan is also the capital of Lombardy, one of Italy’s 20 regions. Lombardy has over ten million people, about one-sixth of Italy’s population. The region is governed by a Regional Council with 80 members elected for five-year terms. In March 2018, a centre-right coalition led by Attilio Fontana won the regional election, defeating a centre-left coalition and a candidate from the Five Star Movement. The centre-right has led the region since 1970. The Regional Council has 48 members from the centre-right, 18 from the centre-left, and 13 from the Five Star Movement. The regional government is based in Palazzo Lombardia, a building 161.3 metres tall, making it the fifth-tallest structure in Milan.

Cityscape

Milan's architecture and art are major attractions in the Lombard capital. Milan has been one of the most important Italian cities in the history of architecture. It has contributed significantly to the history of art and was the birthplace of several modern art movements.

Few remains of the ancient Roman city exist, with the well-preserved Colonne di San Lorenzo being one example. In the 4th century, Saint Ambrose, as bishop of Milan, influenced the city's layout, reshaping the center (though the Roman-era cathedral and baptistery no longer exist). He also built several large churches at the city gates: Sant'Ambrogio, San Nazaro in Brolo, San Simpliciano, and Sant'Eustorgio. These churches still stand, though they have been renovated over time. Milan's Cathedral, built from 1386 to 1877, is the largest church in Italy. St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City is larger, but Milan's Cathedral is the third largest in the world and the most important example of Gothic architecture in Italy. A gilded bronze statue of the Virgin Mary, placed on the cathedral's highest pinnacle in 1774, became one of Milan's most enduring symbols.

In the 15th century, when the Sforza family ruled Milan, an old Viscontean fortress was expanded and decorated to become the Castello Sforzesco. This became the home of a Renaissance court surrounded by a walled hunting park. Architects such as Filarete and Bartolomeo Gadio were involved in the project. The alliance between Francesco Sforza and Cosimo de' Medici brought Renaissance architectural styles to Milan, seen in buildings like the Ospedale Maggiore and Bramante's work, including Santa Maria presso San Satiro and the tribune of Santa Maria delle Grazie. During the 16th to 17th centuries, the Counter-Reformation and Spanish rule in Milan were led by Saint Charles Borromeo and Cardinal Federico Borromeo. They promoted culture, leading to the creation of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana and Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. Architects like Pellegrino Tibaldi and Galeazzo Alessi built notable churches and Baroque buildings during this time.

Empress Maria Theresa of Austria oversaw major renovations in Milan during the 18th century. This included the founding of Teatro alla Scala in 1778 and the renovation of the Royal Palace. Buildings like Palazzo Belgioioso and the Royal Villa of Milan, designed in a Neoclassical style, are considered among the best examples of that style in Lombardy. From 1805 to 1814, under Napoleon's rule, Milan became the capital of a satellite Kingdom of Italy. This led to the construction of large boulevards, new squares, and cultural institutions like the Art Gallery and Academy of Fine Arts. The Arch of Peace, located on Corso Sempione, is often compared to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

In the late 19th century, Milan became the main industrial center of Italy, inspired by European capitals during the Second Industrial Revolution. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, built by Giuseppe Mengoni between 1865 and 1877, is a covered passage with a glass and cast iron roof, similar to London's Burlington Arcade. Other arcades, like the Galleria del Corso, were built later. The Cimitero Monumentale, a Neo-Romanesque-style cemetery built between 1863 and 1866, is another notable example of 19th-century architecture.

The early 20th century brought major changes to Milanese architecture. Art Nouveau, known as Liberty in Italy, is seen in buildings like Palazzo Castiglioni, designed by Giuseppe Sommaruga between 1901 and 1903. Other examples include Hotel Corso, Casa Guazzoni, and the Berri-Meregalli house, which combines Art Nouveau with neo-Romanesque and Gothic revival styles. A more eclectic style is visible in Castello Cova, built in the 1910s in a neo-medieval style. The Central railway station, opened in 1931, is an example of Art Deco blended with Fascist architecture.

After World War II, Milan experienced rapid growth and reconstruction. In the 1950s and 1960s, demand for new housing and commercial areas led to major urban expansion, including buildings like Gio Ponti's Pirelli Tower and Velasca Tower. New residential areas and low-quality public housing were also built. In recent years, former industrial areas have been transformed into modern residential and financial districts, such as Porta Nuova and FieraMilano. The Citylife regeneration project is reshaping the old exhibition area with residential areas, museums, a park, and three skyscrapers: Isozaki Arata, Hadid Tower, and Libeskind Tower.

Two business districts dominate Milan's skyline: Porta Nuova in the northeast and CityLife in the northwest. The tallest buildings include the Unicredit Tower (231 meters) and the Allianz Tower (209 meters).

The largest parks in central Milan are Sempione Park and Montanelli Gardens. Sempione Park, built in 1890, includes the Civic Arena, Civic Aquarium, a panoramic tower, an art exhibition center, a Japanese garden, and a public library

Demographics

In 2026, the population of Milan was 1,362,863 people. About 48.7% were male, and 51.3% were female. Children under 18 years old made up 14.2% of the population, and people aged 65 or older made up 22.7%.

Today, Milan’s population is smaller than it was at its highest point. After World War II, Milan grew rapidly due to industrial development, reaching a peak of 1,743,427 people in 1973. After that, about one-third of the population moved to areas outside the city, such as suburbs and new neighborhoods.

Now, Milan’s urban area includes parts beyond the city itself and its provincial region. In 2015, the built-up area around Milan had 5.27 million people. By 2025, the larger metropolitan area, which is the biggest in Italy and fourth largest in the European Union, had more than 6.1 million people.

In 2025, of the 1,323,044 residents whose countries of birth were known, most were born in Italy (1,062,711 people, or 80.3%). Other large groups included people born in Egypt (44,127, or 3.3%), the Philippines (31,657, or 2.4%), China (27,877, or 2.1%), Peru (19,493, or 1.5%), Bangladesh (11,915, or 0.9%), Romania (10,359, or 0.8%), Morocco (9,202, or 0.7%), and Ecuador (9,189, or 0.7%).

In 2024, about 269,397 foreign residents lived in Milan, making up 19.6% of the total population. This number has more than doubled in the last 15 years.

After World War II, Milan had two major waves of immigration. The first, from the 1950s to the early 1970s, brought many people from rural and poorer parts of Italy. The second, starting in the late 1980s, brought more people from other countries.

The first wave happened during Italy’s postwar economic growth, known as the "economic miracle." This period brought over 400,000 people to Milan, mostly from southern Italy.

Over many years, continued immigration made Milan one of the most diverse cities in Italy. Immigrants came mainly from Africa (such as Eritreans, Egyptians, Moroccans, Senegalese, and Nigerians), Eastern Europe (such as Albanians, Romanians, Ukrainians, Macedonians, Moldovans, and Russians), Asia (such as Chinese, Sri Lankans, and Filipinos), and Latin America (mainly South Americans). In the early 1990s, about 58,000 foreign-born residents lived in Milan (4% of the population). By the end of the decade, this number had grown to over 117,000 (about 9% of the population).

Milan is home to the second-largest East Asian community in Europe after Paris. In 2023, about 76,000 people from the Philippines and China lived in Milan, making up about a quarter of the city’s foreign population. Around 4,000 more people came from other East Asian countries, including 2,000 Japanese and 1,000 Koreans. These groups made up about 5.36% of Milan’s population. The largest Chinese community in Italy is in Milan, with about 37,000 people in 2023. This community is centered in the 8th district near Via Paolo Sarpi, where it started in the 1920s. Milan also has a Japanese international school and several Chinese schools.

Milan also has a long history of African communities from the Horn of Africa. In 2023, about 4,000 Eritrean, Ethiopian, or Somali-born people lived in Milan. Most of them were dual citizens of Italy. This area has historical ties to Italy, as Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia were once Italian colonies. A small community from the Horn of Africa has lived near Porta Venezia since the 1970s. In the "Asmarina" area, about 2,000–2,500 people from the Horn of Africa still live there, along with restaurants, schools, and an Ethiopian church.

Another area with a large Arab-speaking population is the "quadrilatero di San Siro" or "San Siro casbah." This neighborhood, with about 6,000 apartments, has an estimated 25% of its residents who speak Arabic, mostly from Egypt. This area has had higher crime rates than other parts of Milan but has seen efforts to improve conditions for its residents. Other areas with large Arabic-speaking populations include Maciachini-Imbonati, Corvetto, Comasina, and piazza Arcole.

Milan has a large English-speaking community, with about 4,500 U.S., British, Irish, and Australian expatriates (excluding dual citizens). The city has several English schools and publications, such as Hello Milano, Where Milano, and Easy Milano.

Most people in Milan, like in Italy overall, are Catholic. Milan is the seat of the Archdiocese of Milan, and the greater Milan area has Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu,

Economy

Milan is Italy's main business and financial center and is often called the country's economic capital. It is one of the wealthiest cities in Italy, with a high average income per person. In 2024, the GDP of Milan's metropolitan area was 228 billion euros (265 billion dollars), while the entire Lombardy region had a total economic value of 490 billion euros (568 billion dollars), the second-largest among all European Union regions.

Milan is part of the Blue Banana corridor and the Four Motors for Europe, groups that include major economic leaders in Europe. The city is home to about 45% of businesses in Lombardy and more than 8% of all businesses in Italy. Three companies from the Fortune 500 list are based in Milan. In 2019, Milan was ranked the 11th most expensive city in Europe and the 22nd most expensive city globally. Via Monte Napoleone, a street in Milan, was called the most expensive street in the world in 2024.

Milan is a global fashion center. The fashion industry in the city includes 12,000 companies, 800 showrooms, and 6,000 sales outlets. Major fashion brands such as Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, and Prada have their headquarters there. The city hosts fashion events for four weeks each year.

Since the late 1800s, Milan has been a major industrial and manufacturing hub. Companies like Alfa Romeo and Falck employed thousands of workers until their factories closed in 2004 and 1995. Other large companies, such as Edison, Pirelli, and Luxottica, continue to operate in Milan and its suburbs. Industries in the area include chemicals, home appliances, machinery, and medical technology. Construction, retail, and utilities also provide many jobs in the region.

Milan is home to many insurance and banking companies, including 198 national firms and over 40 foreign companies. Asset management companies like Anima Holding and Azimut Holding are also based there. The Milan Stock Exchange, which lists 225 companies, and the Associazione Bancaria Italiana, which represents Italy's banking system, are located in the city. Porta Nuova, Milan's main business district, hosts the Italian headquarters of global companies like Accenture, Deutsche Bank, and Amazon.

The CityLife business district, a new development project designed by modern architects, is home to the headquarters of companies like Allianz, Generali, and PwC. Milan also has many media and advertising agencies, newspapers, and telecommunications companies, including public broadcaster RAI and private companies like Mediaset and Sky Italia. Major publishing companies such as Mondadori and RCS Media Group are based in the city.

Milan has seen a rapid growth in IT companies, with firms like Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo! operating there. The city is also a major center for events and trade fairs. Fiera Milano, one of the world's largest trade fair organizers, hosts events like the Milan Furniture Fair and EICMA in its 400,000-square-meter exhibition halls.

Tourism is an important part of Milan's economy. In 2018, the city had 8.81 million international visitors, an increase of 9.92% compared to the previous year. It was the 15th most visited city in the world. About 56% of visitors were from Europe, and 44% were from other countries. The largest European markets were the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Many U.S. visitors come for business, while Chinese and Japanese visitors often visit for leisure.

Popular tourist attractions in Milan include the Milan Cathedral, Piazza del Duomo, Teatro alla Scala, and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Other sights like the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio and the Navigli area are less visited. The city has many hotels, including the ultra-luxurious Town House Galleria, which is considered the world's first seven-star hotel.

Culture

Milan is home to many cultural institutions, museums, and art galleries. These places make up about 10% of the total visitors and money earned from tourism in Italy. The Pinacoteca di Brera is one of Milan's most important art galleries. It has a large collection of Italian paintings, including a famous painting called the Brera Madonna by Piero della Francesca. The Castello Sforzesco hosts many art collections and exhibitions, including statues, ancient weapons, furniture, and the Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco. This gallery has works such as 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 The Museum of Ancient Art, The Furniture Museum, The Museum of Musical Instruments and Applied Arts, the Egyptian and Prehistoric sections of the Archaeological Museum, and the Achille Bertarelli Print Collection (Civica Raccolta delle Stampe Bertarelli).

Figurative art in Milan grew during the Middle Ages. The Visconti family supported the arts, making Milan a key center for Gothic art and architecture. Milan Cathedral is one of the most famous examples of Gothic architecture in the city. Leonardo da Vinci worked in Milan from 1482 to 1499. He painted the Virgin of the Rocks for the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception and The Last Supper for the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Milan was influenced by the Baroque style. Many important artists, architects, and painters of that time, such as Caravaggio and Francesco Hayez, lived and worked in the city. Their works are displayed at the Brera Academy. The Museum of Risorgimento focuses on the history of Italian unification. Its collection includes paintings such as Baldassare Verazzi's Episode from the Five Days and Francesco Hayez's 1840 Portrait of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. The Triennale is a design museum and event venue located in Palazzo dell'Arte in Sempione Park. It hosts exhibitions and events that highlight modern Italian design, urban planning, architecture, music, and media arts, showing how art and industry are connected.

In the 20th century, Milan was the center of the Futurist artistic movement. Filippo Marinetti, who started Italian Futurism, wrote in his 1909 "Manifesto of Futurism" that Milan was "grand…traditional and futuristic." Umberto Boccioni was an important Futurist artist who worked in the city. Today, Milan is still a major hub for modern and contemporary art, with many modern art galleries. The Modern Art Gallery, located in the Royal Villa, has collections of Italian and European paintings from the 18th to early 20th centuries. The Museo del Novecento, in Palazzo dell'Arengario, is one of Italy's most important art galleries for 20th-century art. It has sections dedicated to Futurism, Spatialism, and Arte povera. In the early 1990s, architect David Chipperfield redesigned the former Ansaldo Factory into a museum, which opened as Museo delle Culture (MUDEC) in April 2015. The Gallerie di Piazza Scala, a modern and contemporary museum in Piazza della Scala, displays 195 artworks from the Fondazione Cariplo collection, including works by 19th-century Lombard painters and sculptors like Antonio Canova and Umberto Boccioni. A new section opened in the Palazzo della Banca Commerciale Italiana in 2012. Other private spaces for contemporary art include the Prada Foundation and HangarBicocca. The Nicola Trussardi Foundation organizes temporary exhibitions in different locations across the city. Milan also has many public art projects, including sculptures, murals, and works by famous artists such as 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.

Milan is known as an international center for performing arts. The city is home to La Scala opera house, one of the world's most respected venues. It has a 200-year history of premiering famous operas, such as Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi in 1842, La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli, Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini in 1904, Turandot by Puccini in 1926, and Teneke by Fabio Vacchi in 2007. Other important theaters in Milan include Teatro degli Arcimboldi, Teatro Dal Verme, and Teatro Lirico. The city also has a renowned symphony orchestra and music conservatory. Many famous composers and musicians, such as Giuseppe Verdi, Giulio Gatti-Casazza, and Alice Edun, lived and worked in Milan. The city is also the birthplace of modern music groups like 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.

Milan is widely recognized as a global leader in industrial design, fashion, and architecture. In the 1950s and 1960s, as Italy's main industrial center and a dynamic European city, Milan became a world capital of design and architecture. Fashion exports from Milan grew rapidly, from $726 million in 1952 to $72.5 billion by 1955. Modern skyscrapers like the Pirelli Tower and Torre Velasca were built during this time. Artists such as Bruno Munari, Lucio Fontana, Enrico Castellani, and Piero Manzoni were active in the city. Today, Milan is still known for its high-quality furniture and interior design. The city hosts Fiera Milano, Europe's largest permanent trade fair, and Salone Internazionale del Mobile, one of the most prestigious international furniture and design events.

Milan is also considered one of the world's top fashion capitals, along with New York City, Paris, and London. It is closely linked to Italy's prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear) industry, as many famous Italian fashion brands, such as Valentino, Versace, Prada, Armani, and Dolce & Gabbana, are based in the city. International fashion brands also have stores in Milan. The city hosts Milan Fashion Week twice a year, a major event in the global fashion industry. The main upscale shopping area, quadrilatero della moda, includes famous

Sport

Milan hosted games during the FIFA World Cup in 1934 and 1990, the UEFA European Championship in 1980, and more recently held the 2003 World Rowing Championships, the 2009 World Boxing Championships, some games of the Men's Volleyball World Championship in 2010, and the final games of the Women's Volleyball World Championship in 2014. In 2018, Milan hosted the World Figure Skating Championships. Milan also hosted the 2026 Winter Olympics and the 2026 Winter Paralympics together with Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Milan, along with Manchester, is one of only two cities in Europe that has two European Cup/Champions League winning teams: AC Milan and Inter, which are Serie A football clubs. These teams are among the most successful in the world in terms of international trophies. Both teams have also won the FIFA Club World Cup (formerly the Intercontinental Cup). Together, they have ten Champions League titles, making Milan the second city in the world with the most European Cups, after Madrid. Both teams play at the UEFA 5-star-rated Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, commonly known as the San Siro, which is one of the largest stadiums in Europe with a seating capacity of over 80,000. The Meazza Stadium has hosted four European Cup/Champions League finals, most recently in 2016, when Real Madrid defeated Atlético Madrid 5–3 in a penalty shoot-out. A third team, Brera Calcio, plays in Prima Categoria, the seventh tier of Italian football. Another team, Milano City FC (a successor of Bustese Calcio), plays in Serie D, the fourth level.

Milan was one of the host cities of the EuroBasket 2022. Currently, there are 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 Italian League championships, eight Italian National Cups, five Italian Super Cups, three European Champions Cups, one FIBA Intercontinental Cup, three FIBA Saporta Cups, two FIBA Korać Cups, and many junior titles. The team plays at the Mediolanum Forum, which has a capacity of 12,700, where it hosted the final of the 2013–14 Euroleague. In some cases, the team also plays at the PalaDesio, which has 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, which has a capacity of 8,000. Another American football team that uses the same venue is the 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. The circuit is located inside the Royal Villa of Monza park. It is one of the world's oldest 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 cycling, Milan hosts the start of the annual Milan–San Remo 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 Tours.

Education

Milan is an important place worldwide for higher education teaching and research. It has the second most universities in Italy after Rome. Milan's higher education system includes 7 universities, 48 faculties, and 142 departments. In 2011, there were 185,000 university students in Milan, which was about 11% of Italy's total. Milan also had the most university graduates and postgraduate students in Italy, with 34,000 and more than 5,000, respectively.

The Polytechnic University of Milan is the city's oldest university, started in 1863. It has over 40,000 students and is the largest technical university in Italy. In 2022, it ranked 13th globally for engineering and technology, 6th for design, and 9th for civil and structural engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering, and architecture. As of 2025, it is the top university in Italy and Southern Europe according to the QS rankings.

The University of Milan, also called the "State University," was founded in 1924. It is the largest public university in Milan and the sixth-largest in Italy, with about 60,000 students and 2,500 teachers. It is known for strong programs in medicine, physics, mathematics, law, and other subjects. Notable alumni include former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Nobel Prize winners. The university's medical school is among the world's top 100 medical schools. In 2025, it ranked 1st in Italy and 80th worldwide in medicine according to QS rankings.

The University of Milano-Bicocca, started in 1998, is Milan's newest university focused on science and technology. It has more than 30,000 students, with over 60% being female. It is a popular choice for medical students and ranked 82nd among young universities in the 2020 Times Higher Education rankings.

The Catholic University of the Sacred Heart is the largest private university in Europe and the biggest Catholic university worldwide, with 42,000 students. Its medical school is supported by the Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic, named after the university's founder, Agostino Gemelli.

Bocconi University, a private school for business and finance, was founded in 1902. It is the best university in Italy for its fields and among the top globally. In 2020, it ranked 7th worldwide and 3rd in Europe for business and management studies. It was also ranked 6th in Europe for business schools in 2018 and 5th for one-year MBA programs in 2017.

Vita-Salute San Raffaele University is a private medical school connected to the San Raffaele Hospital.

The University Institute of Languages and Communication, also called "University IULM," is a private university established in 1968. It focuses on public relations, business communication, media, advertising, and other communication-related fields.

Milan is also known for its fine arts and music schools. The Milan Academy of Fine Arts (Brera Academy) was founded in 1776 by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. The New Academy of Fine Arts is Italy's largest private art and design university. The European Institute of Design specializes in fashion, industrial design, and other creative fields. The Marangoni Institute is a fashion school with campuses in Milan, London, and Paris. The Domus Academy is a private school for design, fashion, and architecture. The Pontifical Ambrosian Institute of Sacred Music, founded in 1931, is a music school authorized to grant university degrees. The Milan Conservatory, established in 1807, is Italy's largest music school with over 1,700 students and 240 teachers.

Transport

Milan is a major transportation hub in Italy and southern Europe. Its central railway station is the second busiest in Italy, after Rome Termini, and the eighth busiest in Europe. The Malpensa, Linate, and Orio al Serio airports serve the Greater Milan area, which is the largest metropolitan region in Italy.

Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (ATM) is the public transportation company for Milan. It operates five metro lines, 18 tram lines, 131 bus lines, four trolleybus lines, and one people mover line. In 2018, these services carried about 776 million passengers. The network covers nearly 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) and connects 46 municipalities. ATM also manages parking lots for transfers and other services, including bike sharing and carsharing.

The Milan Metro is the city's rapid transit system. It has five lines (M1, M2, M3, M4, and M5), covering 112 kilometers (70 miles) with 125 stations, mostly underground. The system carries 1.15 million passengers daily, the highest in Italy and among the highest in Europe. The design of the metro, by Franco Albini and Franca Helg, and the signs, by Bob Noorda, won the Compasso d'Oro award in 1964. The metro is the seventh-largest network in the European Union by length.

As of September 2025, the Milan suburban railway service, operated by Trenord, includes 12 S lines that connect the metropolitan area to the city center. These lines can transfer to all metro lines. Most S lines run through the Milan Passerby Railway, known as "il Passante," which uses double-decker trains every 4 to 8 minutes in the central underground section between Porta Vittoria and Lancetti.

Milan Central station handles 110 million passengers annually. It is the largest and eighth-busiest railway station in Europe and the second busiest in Italy after Roma Termini. Milano Centrale is the largest railway station in Europe by volume. Milano Cadorna and Milano Porta Garibaldi stations are the seventh- and eleventh-busiest in Italy, mainly serving regional and suburban trains.

Since 2009, two high-speed train lines connect Milan to Rome, Naples, and Turin, reducing travel times. Since 2016, another high-speed line links Milan to Brescia, part of a route to Verona and Venice, which is still under construction. Parts of the line to Genoa are also being built as of May 2025. Milan has direct international trains to cities like Nice, Marseille, Lyon, Paris, Lugano, Geneva, Bern, Basel, Zurich, and Frankfurt. Overnight sleeper services to Munich and Vienna are also available. Trenord operates regional trains in Lombardy, carrying over 750,000 passengers daily on more than 50 routes.

Trenitalia and S.N.C.F. provide high-speed services to Paris, with stops in Lyon and Turin.

The city's tram network has about 160 kilometers (99 miles) of tracks and 18 lines, making it one of Europe's most advanced light rail systems. Bus lines cover over 1,070 kilometers (665 miles). Taxis are operated by private companies licensed by Milan's City Council. Milan is also a key point in Italy's national road network, connected to major highways in northern Italy. Long-distance buses link Milan to cities and towns across Lombardy and Italy.

Three airports near Milan serve civilian traffic: Milan Malpensa and Milan Linate, managed by SEA, and Milan Bergamo, managed by SACBO. Together, the Milan airport system handles over 51.4 million passengers and 700,000 tons of goods annually, ranking first in Italy for passenger and cargo volume. Malpensa Airport is Italy's second-busiest, after Rome Fiumicino, and the busiest for freight. It serves Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria, and the Swiss canton of Ticino. Located 49 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of Milan, Malpensa is ninth globally and sixth in Europe for the number of countries it connects directly. It is linked to Milan by train and bus. The airport is in a UNESCO-recognized nature reserve.

Milan Linate Airport, less than 8 kilometers (5 miles) from central Milan, mainly handles domestic and short-haul flights. It served 8.6 million passengers in 2023, ranking eighth in Italy. It is a key hub for ITA Airways and connected to Milan by the M4 metro line.

Milan Bergamo Airport serves low-cost, charter, and cargo flights. Located 45 kilometers (28 miles) northeast of Milan, it is one of Ryanair's main bases and served 14.7 million passengers in 2023. A bus service connects it to Bergamo's train station.

Bresso Airfield is a general aviation airport operated by Aero Club Milano. Since 1960, it has served flying clubs, tourist flights, and air taxis. It also hosts a helicopter emergency service.

Bicycles are becoming an important way to travel in Milan. Since 2008, the city has expanded bike paths to reduce traffic and pollution. During the 2019 pandemic, 35 kilometers of new bike lanes were added quickly to ease subway congestion.

The BikeMi bike-sharing system operates across most of the city and is widely used. Commercial dockless bike and scooter-sharing services are also available in many areas.

International relations

Milan has a sister city relationship with Saint Petersburg. This partnership was paused in 2012 by the city of Milan due to a rule by the Russian government that banned the sharing of information about same-sex relationships. Later, the relationship was reestablished. As of 2022, Saint Petersburg remains listed as one of Milan's official twin cities.