Editing Milan (section)

== Cityscape ==

=== Skyline ===
{{Wide image|Wide angle Milan skyline from Duomo roof.jpg|600px|A wide view of the Milan skyline, with accompanying cityscape, from the roof of the [[Milan Cathedral]]|align-cap=center}}

=== Architecture ===
{{main|History of architecture and art in Milan}}
{{See also|List of buildings in Milan|Villas and palaces in Milan}}
[[File:Milan Cathedral from Piazza del Duomo.jpg|thumb|[[Milan Cathedral]] is the largest church in the Italian Republic—the larger [[St. Peter's Basilica]] is in the [[State of Vatican City]], a sovereign state—and the [[List of largest churches|third largest in the world]].<ref name="ReferenceA">See [[List of largest church buildings in the world]].</ref>]]
[[File:Castello Sforzesco da alto.jpg|thumb|[[Sforza Castle]] (Castello Sforzesco), a historic medieval fortress]]
[[File:Veduta di tre quarti del Palazzo Reale di Milano.jpg|thumb|The [[Royal Palace of Milan]], the seat of government of the city for many centuries]]
[[File:Milano, villa reale, prospetto sul parco.jpg|thumb|[[Royal Villa of Milan]], one of the finest examples of [[Neoclassical architecture]] in Lombardy]]
[[File:Milan, Italy - panoramio (5).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Porta Sempione|Arch of the Peace]], dating back to the 19th century, although its origins can be traced back to a gate of the [[Walls of Milan#Roman walls|Roman walls]] of Milan]]
[[File:20161207 Palazzo Castiglioni.jpg|thumb|[[Palazzo Castiglioni (Milan)|Palazzo Castiglioni]], designed in the [[Liberty style]]]]

The [[History of architecture and art in Milan|architectural and artistic presence in Milan]] represents one of the attractions of the Lombard capital. Milan has been among the most important Italian centers in the [[history of architecture]], has made important contributions to the development of art history, and has been the cradle of a number of [[modern art]] movements.

There are only few remains of the ancient Roman city, notably the well-preserved [[Colonne di San Lorenzo]]. During the second half of the 4th century, Saint Ambrose, as bishop of Milan, had a strong influence on the layout of the city, reshaping the centre (although the cathedral and baptistery built in Roman times are now lost) and building the great basilicas at the city gates: Sant'Ambrogio, [[San Nazaro in Brolo]], [[Basilica of San Simpliciano|San Simpliciano]] and [[Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio|Sant'Eustorgio]], which still stand, refurbished over the centuries, as some of the finest and most important churches in Milan. [[Duomo di Milano|Milan's Cathedral]], built between 1386 and 1877, is the largest church in the Italian Republic—the larger [[St. Peter's Basilica]] is in the [[State of Vatican City]], a sovereign state—and the [[List of largest churches|third largest in the world]],<ref name="ReferenceA"/> as well as the most important example of [[Gothic architecture]] in Italy. The gilt bronze statue of the [[Madonnina (statue)|Virgin Mary]], placed in 1774 on the highest pinnacle of the Duomo, soon became one of the most enduring symbols of Milan.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Sharon|title=A perfect trip to Italy in the golden years.|year=2011|publisher=iUniverse Inc.|location=Bloomington, IN|isbn=978-1-4502-8443-1|page=93}}</ref>

In the 15th century, when the Sforza ruled the city, an old Viscontean fortress was enlarged and embellished to become the Castello Sforzesco, the seat of an elegant Renaissance court surrounded by a walled hunting park. Notable architects involved in the project included the [[Florence|Florentine]] [[Filarete]], who was commissioned to build the high central entrance tower, and the military specialist Bartolomeo Gadio.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.milanocastello.it/ing/lungaRicostruito.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030830184307/http://www.milanocastello.it/ing/lungaRicostruito.html |archive-date=30 August 2003 |title=The Castle Reconstructed by the Sforza |website=Castello Sforzesco website}}</ref> The alliance between Francesco Sforza and Florence's [[Cosimo de' Medici]] bore to Milan Tuscan models of Renaissance architecture, apparent in the [[Ospedale Maggiore]] and Bramante's work in the city, which includes Santa Maria presso San Satiro (a reconstruction of a small 9th-century church), the tribune of [[Santa Maria delle Grazie (Milan)|Santa Maria delle Grazie]] and three cloisters for Sant'Ambrogio.<ref name="murray"/> The [[Counter-Reformation]] in the 16th to 17th centuries was also the period of [[Spanish Empire|Spanish domination]] and was marked by two powerful figures: [[Charles Borromeo|Saint Charles Borromeo]] and his cousin, [[Federico Borromeo|Cardinal Federico Borromeo]]. Not only did they impose themselves as moral guides to the people of Milan, but they also gave a great impulse to culture, with the creation of the [[Biblioteca Ambrosiana]], in a building designed by [[Francesco Maria Richini]], and the nearby Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. Many notable churches and Baroque mansions were built in the city during this period by the architects, [[Pellegrino Tibaldi]], [[Galeazzo Alessi]] and Richini himself.<ref name="Wittkower"/>

Empress [[Maria Theresa of Austria]] was responsible for the significant renovations carried out in Milan during the 18th century.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Reill|editor-first=Peter Hanns|last=Wilson|first=Ellen Judy|title=Encyclopedia of the enlightenment|year=2004|publisher=Facts on File|location=New York, NY|isbn=0-8160-5335-9|page=392|edition=Rev.}}</ref> This urban and artistic renewal included the establishment of [[La Scala|Teatro alla Scala]], inaugurated in 1778, and the renovation of the Royal Palace. The late 1700s [[Palazzo Belgioioso]] by [[Giuseppe Piermarini]] and [[Royal Villa of Milan]] by [[Leopoldo Pollack]], later the official residence of Austrian viceroys, are often regarded among the best examples of [[Neoclassical architecture]] in Lombardy.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mazzocca|first=Fernando|title=La Galleria d'Arte Moderna e la Villa Reale di Milano|year=2007|publisher=Silvana|location=Cinisello Balsamo (Milano)|isbn=978-88-366-1003-7|page=21}}</ref> The [[First French Empire|Napoleonic]] rule of the city in 1805–1814, having established Milan as the capital of a satellite Kingdom of Italy, took steps to reshape it accordingly to its new status, with the construction of large boulevards, new squares ([[Porta Ticinese]] by [[Luigi Cagnola]] and Foro Bonaparte by [[Giovanni Antonio Antolini]]) and cultural institutions ([[Pinacoteca di Brera|Art Gallery]] and the [[Brera Academy|Academy of Fine Arts]]).<ref>{{cite book|last=De Finetti|first=Giuseppe|title=Milano : costruzione di una città|year=2002|publisher=U. Hoepli|location=Milano|isbn=88-203-3092-X|page=324}}</ref> The massive [[Arch of Peace]], situated at the bottom of Corso Sempione, is often compared to the [[Arc de Triomphe]] in Paris. In the second half of the 19th century, Milan quickly became the main industrial centre of the new Italian nation, drawing inspiration from the great European capitals that were hubs of the [[Second Industrial Revolution]]. The great [[Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II]], realised by [[Giuseppe Mengoni]] between 1865 and 1877 to celebrate [[Victor Emmanuel II of Italy|Vittorio Emanuele II]], is a covered passage with a glass and cast iron roof, inspired by the [[Burlington Arcade]] in London. Several other arcades such as the [[Galleria del Corso]], built between 1923 and 1931, complement it. Another late-19th-century eclectic monument in the city is the [[Cimitero Monumentale]] graveyard, built in a [[Romanesque Revival architecture|Neo-Romanesque]] style between 1863 and 1866.

The tumultuous period of early 20th century brought several, radical innovations in Milanese architecture. [[Art Nouveau]], also known as ''[[Liberty style|Liberty]]'' in Italy, is recognisable in [[Palazzo Castiglioni (Milan)|Palazzo Castiglioni]], built by architect [[Giuseppe Sommaruga]] between 1901 and 1903.<ref name="ReferenceC"/> Other examples include Hotel Corso,<ref name="ReferenceC"/> [[Casa Guazzoni]] with its wrought iron and staircase, and Berri-Meregalli house, the latter built in a traditional Milanese Art Nouveau style combined with elements of neo-Romanesque and Gothic revival architecture, regarded as one of the last such types of architecture in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.100milano.com/liberty/191.html |title=Verso Una Conclusione: Casa Berri Meregalli |publisher=100milano.com |access-date=10 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424052448/http://www.100milano.com/liberty/191.html |archive-date=24 April 2012}}</ref> A new, more eclectic form of architecture can be seen in buildings such as Castello Cova, built the 1910s in a distinctly neo-medieval style, evoking the architectural trends of the past.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.info2015expo.it/index.php?/archives/826-Castello-Cova.html |title=Castello Cova – info2015expo |publisher=Info2015expo.it |access-date=10 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424225206/http://www.info2015expo.it/index.php?%2Farchives%2F826-Castello-Cova.html |archive-date=24 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> An important example of [[Art Deco]], which blended such styles with [[Fascist architecture]], is the huge [[Milano Centrale|Central railway station]] inaugurated in 1931.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ICYUKYHQ_cC&q=milan+railway+station+1931&pg=PA119|title=DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Milan & the Lakes|last=Birmingham|first=Brenda|publisher=Dorling Kindersley Limited|year=2011|isbn=978-1-4053-6747-9|location=London|language=en|oclc=828734755|access-date=17 November 2020|archive-date=29 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529132107/https://books.google.com/books?id=-ICYUKYHQ_cC&q=milan+railway+station+1931&pg=PA119|url-status=live}}</ref>

The post-World War II period saw rapid reconstruction and fast economic growth, accompanied by a nearly two-fold increase in population. In the 1950s and 1960s, a strong demand for new residential and commercial areas drove to extreme urban expansion, that has produced some of the major milestones in the city's architectural history, including [[Giò Ponti|Gio Ponti]]'s Pirelli Tower (1956–60), Velasca Tower (1956–58), and the creation of brand new residential satellite towns, as well as huge amounts of low-quality public housings. In recent years, de-industrialization, [[urban decay]] and gentrification led to a vast urban renewal of former industrial areas, that have been transformed into modern residential and financial districts, notably Porta Nuova in downtown Milan and [[FieraMilano]] in the suburb of [[Rho (Italy)|Rho]]. In addition, the old exhibition area is being completely reshaped according to the Citylife regeneration project, featuring residencial areas, museums, an urban park and three skyscrapers designed by international architects, and after whom they are named: the {{convert|202|m|adj=mid|abbr=off}} [[Isozaki Arata]]—when completed, the tallest building in Italy,<ref name="Isozaki Tower Citylife"/> the twisted [[Zaha Hadid|Hadid Tower]],<ref name="Hadid Tower Citylife"/> and the curved [[Daniel Libeskind|Libeskind Tower]].<ref name="Liebskind Tower Citylife"/>

Two business districts dominate Milan's skyline: ''Porta Nuova'' in the north-east (boroughs No. 9 and 2) and ''CityLife'' (borough No. 8) in the north-west part of the commune. The [[List of tallest buildings in Milan|tallest buildings]] include the [[Unicredit Tower]] at 231 m (though only 162 m without the spire), and the 209 m [[Allianz Tower]], a 50-story tower.

=== Parks and gardens ===
[[File:Laghetto nel Parco Sempione con tartarughe, sullo sfondo il Castello Sforzesco.jpg|thumb|[[Parco Sempione|Sempione Park]]]]
[[File:Giardini pubblici Indro Montanelli.jpg|thumb|[[Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli|Montanelli Gardens]]]]
[[File:Brera Botanical Garden - 4.jpg|thumb|[[Orto Botanico di Brera]]]]
The largest parks in the central area of Milan are [[Parco Sempione|Sempione Park]], at the north-western edge, and [[Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli|Montanelli Gardens]], situated north-east of the city. English-style Sempione Park, built in 1890, contains the [[Arena Civica|Civic Arena]], the [[Civic Aquarium of Milan]] (which is the third oldest aquarium in [[Europe]]<ref>{{cite web |title=La nostra storia |url=http://www.acquariocivicomilano.eu/cms/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dcategory%26sectionid%3D35%26id%3D54%26Itemid%3D218 |accessdate=August 16, 2018 |trans-title=Our History |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120214520/http://www.acquariocivicomilano.eu/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=35&id=54&Itemid=218 |language=Italian |publisher=City of Milan |archivedate=January 20, 2015}}</ref>), a steel lattice panoramic tower, an art exhibition centre, a Japanese garden and a public library.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sempione Park|url=http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=en/SITur/HOME/milanodintorni/parchigiardini/loc2197|access-date=13 June 2013|archive-date=10 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410230306/http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=en%2FSITur%2FHOME%2Fmilanodintorni%2Fparchigiardini%2Floc2197|url-status=live}}</ref> The Montanelli gardens, created in the 18th century, hosts the [[Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano|Natural History Museum of Milan]] and a [[Planetario di Milano|planetarium]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Indro Montanelli Gardens|url=http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=en/situr/home/milanodintorni/parchigiardini/loc10|access-date=13 June 2013|archive-date=8 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508053103/http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=en%2Fsitur%2Fhome%2Fmilanodintorni%2Fparchigiardini%2Floc10|url-status=live}}</ref> Slightly away from the city centre, heading east, Forlanini Park is characterised by a large pond and a few preserved shacks which remind of the area's agricultural past.<ref>{{cite web|title=Forlanini Park|url=http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=en/situr/home/milanodintorni/parchigiardini/loc26|access-date=13 June 2013|archive-date=10 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410223819/http://www.turismo.milano.it/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hzS0O_QGcLEwP_ICNTA08D_2APT1dHYwMDE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQCvgnB_/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=en%2Fsitur%2Fhome%2Fmilanodintorni%2Fparchigiardini%2Floc26|url-status=live}}</ref> In recent years Milan's authorities pledged to develop its green areas: they planned to create twenty new urban parks and extend the already existing ones, and announced plans to plant three million trees by 2030.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024|reason=This was previously supported by a generally unreliable source}}

Also notable is [[Monte Stella (Milan)|Monte Stella]] ("Starmount"), also informally called Montagnetta di San Siro ("Little mountain of San Siro"), an artificial hill and surrounding city park in Milan. The hill was created using the debris from the buildings that were bombed during [[World War II]], as well as from the last remnants of the [[Walls of Milan|Spanish walls]] of the city, demolished in the mid 20th century. Even at only {{convert|25|m|abbr=on}} height, the hill provides a panoramic view of the city and hinterland, and in a clear day, the Alps and Apennines can be distinguished from atop. A notable area of the park is called "Giardino dei Giusti" (Garden of the Just), which is a memorial to distinguished opponents of genocide and crimes against humanity; each tree in the garden is dedicated to one such person. Notable people who have been dedicated a tree in the Giardino dei Giusti include [[Moshe Bejski]], [[Andrej Sakharov]], [[Svetlana Broz]], and [[Pietro Kuciukian]].

The [[Orto Botanico di Brera]] a [[botanical garden]] located behind [[Palazzo Brera]] at Via Brera 28 in the center of Milan, is another major park in the city. The garden consists primarily of rectangular flower-beds, trimmed in brick, with elliptical ponds from the 18th century, and specula and [[greenhouse]] from the 19th century (now used by the Academy of Fine Arts). It contains one of the oldest ''[[Ginkgo biloba]]'' trees in Europe, as well as mature specimens of ''[[Firmiana platanifolia]]'', ''[[Juglans nigra]]'', ''[[Pterocarya fraxinifolia]]'', and ''[[Tilia]]''.

In addition, even though Milan is located in one of the most urbanised regions of Italy, it is surrounded by a belt of green areas and features numerous gardens even in its very centre. The farmlands and woodlands north (Parco Nord Milano since 1975) and south ([[Parco Agricolo Sud Milano]] since 1990) of the urban area have been protected as regional parks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://parconord.milano.it/scopri-il-parco/la-storia-del-parco/|title=La storia del Parco|date=18 October 2019 |access-date=29 October 2023|language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cittametropolitana.mi.it/parco_agricolo_sud_milano/#:~:text=Il%20Parco%20Agricolo%20Sud%20Milano,un%20totale%20di%2047.000%20ettari.|title=Parco Agricolo Sud Milano|access-date=29 October 2023|language=it}}</ref> West of the city, the Parco delle Cave (Sand pit park) has been established on a neglected site where gravel and sand used to be extracted, featuring artificial lakes and woods.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parcodellecave.it/index.php/informazioni-mainmenu/informazioni-parco/storia-del-parco|title=Parco delle Cave|access-date=29 October 2023|language=it}}</ref>