Editing Milan (section)

=== Celtic era ===
[[File:9754 - Museo archeologico di Milano - Olletta celtica (sec. II-I a.C.) - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 13-mar-2012.jpg|thumb|Celtic finds dating back to the period preceding the Roman conquest (3rd-2nd century BC), which is preserved in the [[Archaeological Museum, Milan|Civic Archaeological Museum of Milan]]]]

Around 590 BC<ref name="cronologia"/> a Celtic tribe belonging to the [[Insubre]]s group and belonging to the [[Golasecca culture]] settled the city under the name Medhelanon.<ref name="Tellier"/><ref name="cronologia"/> According to the legend reported by [[Livy]] (writing between 27 and 9 BC), the [[Gaul]]ish king [[Ambicatus]] sent his nephew [[Bellovesus]] into northern Italy at the head of a party drawn from various Gaulish tribes; Bellovesus allegedly founded the settlement in the times of the Roman monarchy, during the reign of [[Lucius Tarquinius Priscus|Tarquinius Priscus]]. Tarquin is traditionally recorded as reigning from 616 to 579 BC, according to ancient Roman historian Titus Livy.<ref>Livius, ''[[Ab Urbe condita]]'' 5.34–35.3.</ref>

Medhelanon, in particular, was developed around a [[sanctuary]], which was the oldest area of the village.<ref name="Tosi">{{cite book|first=Stefano|last=Tosi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ofosDAAAQBAJ&dq=fossato+celtico+via+moneta+milano&pg=PA27|title=Da Milano alla Barona. Storia, luoghi e persone di questa terra|date=2 May 2016 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-326-64414-7 |access-date=16 July 2018|language=it}}</ref> The sanctuary, which consisted of a wooded area in the shape of an ellipse with a central clearing, was aligned according to precise astronomical points. For this reason, it was used for religious gatherings, especially in particular celebratory moments. The sanctuary of Medhelanon was an ellipse with axes of {{convert|443|m|abbr=on}} and {{convert|323|m|abbr=on}} located near [[Piazza della Scala]].<ref name="Tosi"/> The urban planning profile was based on these early paths, and on the shape of the sanctuary, reached, in some cases, up to the 19th century and even beyond. For example, the route of the modern Corso Vittorio Emanuele, [[Piazza del Duomo, Milan|Piazza del Duomo]], [[Piazza Cordusio]] and Via Broletto, which is curvilinear, could correspond to the south side of the ellipse of the ancient sanctuary of Medhelanon.<ref name="Tosi"/>

One axis of the Medhelanon sanctuary was aligned towards the [[heliacal rising]] of [[Antares]], while the other towards the heliacal rising of [[Capella]]. The latter coincided with a Celtic spring festival celebrated on 24 March, while the heliacal rising of Antares corresponded with 11 November, which opened and closed the Celtic year and which coincided with the point where the Sun rose on the winter [[solstice]].<ref name="Tosi"/> About two centuries after the creation of the Celtic sanctuary, the first residential settlements began to be built around it. Medhelanon then transformed from a simple religious center to an urban and then military centre, thus becoming a real village.<ref name="Tosi"/>

The first homes were built just south of the Celtic sanctuary, near the modern [[Royal Palace of Milan]].<ref name="Tosi"/> Subsequently, with the growth of the town centre, other important buildings for the Medhelanon community were built. First, a temple dedicated to the goddess [[Belisama]] was built, which was located near the modern [[Milan Cathedral]]. Then, near the modern Via Moneta, which is located near today's [[Piazza San Sepolcro]], a fortified building with military functions was built which was surrounded by a defensive moat.<ref name="Tosi"/>