Milan has grown throughout its 2,700 year history of trade, conquest, occupation and conflict to become the Italian city with the most international outlook. It leads the country as economic capital, and it leads the world in certain fields such as fashion and design, but the brilliance of its private enterprise contrasts with the inefficiency of its public institutions (a problem common to all Italy and not just to
Milan). Of the city’s founding fathers there remains just a legend, of a Celtic ruler named Belloveso who crossed the Alps and invaded the forested and fertile plains of the Po valley. Some say in about 720 B.C., others about 350 B.C. The legend refers to the story of Belloveso who turned to an oracle for information on when and where to found the city. The reply was that the city should be founded on the place where a boar only half-covered with fur would be found. Notwithstanding this unusual prediction, Belloveso set his men to search and finally found the animal in a clearing near a spring. This location was what is now Piazza Mercanti. The city was founded there and named “Medio-lanuto”, half-furred, after the boar. The name then became “Mediolanum” in Latin and thence “
Milano”. Other more sober historians say that the name
Milan derives simply from “Mittland”, town in the centre of the country.
In
Milan, there is no lack of accommodation solutions, with a large selection of: hotels, residence self catering accommodation, b&b, guesthouses, hostels and holiday homes.
Airports
Underground
Teatro alla Scala
By-pass
