About Milan Italy

Milan, in the Lombardy region, is located in the northern end of the country of Italy. It is the second-most populous city with 1.3 million people calling it home. However, the metropolitan region, stretching over nine provinces, boasts of 7 to 9 million people.

The city is a major world fashion and design capital, and thanks to its important museums, landmarks and art culture, Milan attracts over 2 million annual visitors.

Founding

In Italian, the city is called Milano and was founded by a Celtic people. The city was conquered by the Romans, becoming the capital of the Western Roman Empire. It has also been dominated by France, Spain and Austria until 1859, when the city was annexed by the new Kingdom of Italy.

Attractions

Milan is perfect blend of the “Old and New.” Milan, and surrounding regions are rich in cultural and history. During the renaissance period, famous artists like Leonardo daVinci, Michelangelo, Filarete, and Baramante introduced the renaissance style to this area.

One of most famous historical attraction is the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (“Holy Mary of Grace”) which is decorated with Leonardo da Vinci paintings, including the Last Supper fresco. The Duomo di Milano is the fifth largest cathedral in the world. It took more than five centuries to build and is still being worked on.

New trends in fashion and design frequently originate in this historically significant city. It is well known for several international events and fairs, including two fashion weeks during the year. Among the 12,000 companies in Milan are the headquarters of fashion brands like Versace, Pucci, Gucci, Dolce Prada, and Armani. The people in Milan are up to date with fashion trends. The Furniture Fair is also held in Milan and is the largest of its kind in the world.

In Milan there are 800 showrooms, 6,000 sales outlets and it is ranked as the 12th most expensive city in the world.

A Favorite Attraction

Lake Como:  Lago di Como is one of the famous Italian Lakes destination, 40 minutes north of Milan. Lake Como is long, slender and extremely deep. The southern end forks into to long legs and has been a popular resort area since the days of the Roman Empire.

The town of Como is located at the end of the east branch of the lake. Like most of Italy, it was built and added to over a period of centuries, so you can admire Gothic and Renaissance features including fine tapestries and paintings. Other quaint towns, Bellagio, Menaggio and Varenna, which also border the lake, are popular vacation destinations as well.

Climate

The climate is considered a humid subtropical classification. The climate is similar to much of northern Italy’s inland plains, where moderately hot summers and cold humid winters prevail.

Winter: During the winter, average temperatures can fall below freezing levels and significant accumulation of snow can occur. The city receives, on average, seven days of snow per year. The city is often shrouded in heavy fog which causes pollution levels to rise significantly, causing Milan to be one of Europe’s most polluted cities in the winter.

However, during the Christmas season, Milan becomes a fairyland with lots of lights, markets and shopping stalls everywhere.

Spring: Early Spring is warm but can be quite rainy. Parks become nice to visit as the trees blossom. People like to dress up and celebrate the Easter season with special events and church services.

Summer: In the summer, Milan can become extremely hot and humid, with odd powerful rainstorms here and there. In June and July, most shops remain open. However, in August, the quietest month, many locals take their summer holidays and businesses and venues shut down. However, some businesses remain open, but beware, the staff may be unfriendly, as Italians do not like to work at this time of year.

Autumn: Fall is much like the spring. The weather is warm/cool and later months can be quite rainy and foggy. All major venues and shops are open, and like winter, it is considered the working part of the year.

Fun Facts:

*Everyday from 7 pm to 9 pm, Milan celebrates a time to eat finger food. Usually, lounges, cafes and bars offer a buffet that includes foods which can be eaten by hand/fingers. It is a merry time for people as they chit-chat, mingle and enjoy great cuisine.

*Milan is the oldest and second largest community in Italy and financially the most important.

*Milan has the honor of having Europe’s largest opera house called Teatro alla Scalla.  This huge opera house can seat 2,800 viewers at one time and has some of the best acoustics in the world.

*There is no tax on shopping.

*Milan is 120 miles from the border of Switzerland.

*Milan/Salt Lake Coordinates:  Milan – Latitude: 45  28’ North – Longitude: 9 22’ East   –  Salt Lake –  Latitude: 40  45’  N – Longitude: 111  53’ W.

*Time Difference:  Milan is 8 hours ahead of Salt Lake City.