At the last post, I left off at the history of Milan right at the beginning of the Renaissance. The Francesco Sforza family was under rule during this time frame and brought peace to Milan after they had been in war with Venice and Florence. In addition to peace, he also built up the city and gave the orders for constructing both the Castle and Duomo. The city developed significantly both in terms of structure and industry, but also through agriculture. Ludovico Sforza spearheaded specifically the development of silk production. (About Milan, n.d.)
Art and culture also thrived throughout Milan during the time of the Renaissance and Ludovico Sforza encouraged this by placing Donato Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci to his court. Further detail will be given about this later in the blog. (Milan, n.d.)
Due to the growth and prosperity of Milan, the city became coveted by neighboring rulers, specifically the French and Spanish. Francesco Sforza ruled under the authority of the Holy Roman Emperor, specifically Charles V at the time. When Francesco passed away in 1535, Charles V assumed the rule of Milan. This brought forth 170 years of Spanish oppression until Austrian domination took over in the early 18th century. The Hapsburg family made great improvements to the city of Milan in terms of art, culture, science, and economics. (Finardi M., 1986)
In 1796, Napoleon marched into the city of Milan and was actually received fairly well by the people, due to the fact that they saw potential democratic reform. However, this was short lived given that Napoleon’s power fell in 1814. The Congress of Vienna tried to restore Austrian rule, but this was not welcomed by the people of Milan. In fact, the Austrians were actually run out of the city in 1859 and became part of the Kingdom of Italy. (About Milan, n.d.)
At this point in history, Milan was considered to be independent and the capital of Italy. For this, celebration took place, and buildings were constructed in light of the victory; these included Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the San Vittore prison, the Cimitero Monumentale and the San Gottardo tunnel. (Milan, n.d.)
Throughout WW1, fascism and socialism did have a presence throughout Milan resulting in conflicts during this time frame. Then throughout WW2, Milan was basically destroyed. After the war, the region of Lombardy began to thrive and lifted up Milan as well. The post-war time frame is what pushed Milan into its rapid development and drove it to its current thriving state. (Finardi M., 1986)
Works Cited
About Milan, your tourist guide to Milan, Italy. (n.d.). History of Milan. Retrieved February 13, 2014, from http://www.aboutmilan.com/history-of-milan.html
Finardi, M. (1986). A Key to Milan (2nd ed.). Milano: Arcadia.
Milan. (n.d.). Infoplease. Retrieved February 13, 2014, from http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/milan-city-italy-history.html