Italy: Milan

I hope everyone enjoyed seeing the history and culture Rome has to offer! We now move on to another city in Italy: Milan. Milan is a large, highly populated city in northern Italy. Although many of the people who visit Milan are on business, there are some wonderful cites for us to see as well.

One of the first places I would like to visit in Milan is the Duomo di Milan or the Milan Cathedral. This beautiful cathedral is the largest in Italy, and the fourth largest cathedral in the world. Its construction began in 1386 and was not completed until 1965. Like many of the things we saw in Rome, this Cathedral is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.

The Duomo di Milan is located in the Piazza del Duomo or Cathedral Square. This is the main city squre in Milan. The squre was created in 1859 as construction of the cathedral was finally coming to an end. Along with the Duodmo di Milan, other structures that surround this square include the arcade of the Palazzo Settentrionale, Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II, and the Palazzo Meridionale. Also in the square is the statue of Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of Italy.  

The last place I'd like to visit in Milan is the Sforza Caslte. The original construction of the site occured in the 14th century. It was used by a number of people in Milan, and was influenced at different periods by the French and Spanish. In the 19th century, after the unification of Italy, the caslte was used by the military. During World War II, the castle was heavily damaged. When the war was finished, the castle was reconstruced with the purpose of making it a museum. Today, the castle is an art museum with the Civic Collections of Ancient Art.