29 Interesting Facts about Milan, Italy (+ little-known facts!)

The Main Milan Facts

1. The city was founded by the Celts, in 600 BC

The city of Milan was founded more than 2,500 years ago, in 600 BC.

It was created by a Celtic tribe from Gaul, the Insubres. The original name of the city was Mediolanon, Celtic for “in the middle of the plain”.

2. Milan is the 2nd largest city in Italy

With a population of 1,395,274 Milan is the second largest city in Italy, after Rome.

It’s also the second most densely populated city after Naples, with a density of 7,700 inhabitants per km² (20,000 per square miles).

Even though the city is quite large, you can still visit the main sights of Milan in 24 hours if you don’t have time! But for sure, you’ll want to return someday to see more of it. 

3. The Milan Cathedral is the 3rd largest catholic church in Europe

The Milan Cathedral, also known as the Duomo di Milano, is a massive church located on Piazza del Duomo, the main square in Milan.

It’s the 3rd largest catholic church in Europe, with an interior size of 11,700 m² (125,937 square miles), after the St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican and the Seville Cathedral in Spain.

It’s also the biggest in Italy, and the 5th biggest in the world.

4. The Milan Cathedral construction took more than 500 years

As you might imagine, you don’t build such a massive church in 2 days.

In fact, the construction of the Milan Cathedral took 579 years. Construction began in 1386, and the last details of the cathedral were only completed in 1965.

5. There are more than 3,400 statues on the Duomo

One of the interesting Milan Cathedral facts is about the statues: there is a staggering amount of statue on the Duomo di Milano!

In total, there are 3,400 statues, but also 135 gargoyles and 700 figures.

Up for a challenge? Count them all!

6. The Milan Conservatory rejected the application of now-famous composer Giuseppe Verdi

Giuseppe Verdi is an Italian opera composer who produced, among other works, La Traviata, one of the most popular opera in the world today.

One of the fun facts about Milan is the story of its conservatory. In 1833, young Giuseppe Verdi applied to enter the Milan Conservatory, but he was rejected.

He later went on to become one of the most successful opera composers in the world; the conservatory then changed its name, and it’s now known as the Conservatorio Giusseppe Verdi.

7. The King Vittorio Emanuele II statue on the Central Square is always clean, despite the hundreds of pigeons around

On the main square of Milan, Piazza del Duomo, you can see a statue of King Victor Emmanuel II, inaugurated in 1896.

As with many European cities, pigeons are a challenge; they are everywhere, and their dejections damage statues and buildings.

However the statue of the king is always clean: what’s the secret? The secret is the small electricity current in the statue, that’s keeping the birds away!

8. The Pirelli Tower is the first skyscraper built in Italy

The Pirelli Tower is a 127m tower in Milan (417 feet). At the time it was built, it was the highest building in Italy, and the first building to be highest than the Milan Cathedral. 

9. Milan is the Italian city with the most skyscrapers

Now there are several towers higher than the Pirelli Tower. In fact, the first skyscraper in Italy is now the 10th tallest building in Milan, and the first one (Unicredit Tower) is almost twice as high.

Milan is home to many skyscrapers; it’s the highest concentration of skyscrapers in Italy. In 2020, there are 25 skyscrapers in the city.

The Torre Unicredit and Allianz Tower of Milan are the 2 highest buildings in Italy.

10. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is the oldest shopping mall in Italy still in activity

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a big shopping mall in Milan, in the center of the city.

It was built in 1877, and to this day it’s the oldest active shopping mall in all of Italy.

It’s also a marvel of architecture, and one of the most photographed locations in the city.

11. Milan was miraculously spared by the Plague in the 14th century

The Black Death, or the plague, first started in Mongolia. It reached Europe in January 1348, starting with Italy in the cities of Venice and Genoa.

The plague spread throughout Europe, killing millions. However, for some reason, Milan was spared from the plague.

Actually, Milan was affected by the plague, just like every country, but only suffered a minor outbreak. One of the reasons why it sustained minor losses might be that when the plague would hit a household, they would shut down the house, forcing people to stay inside, and dying inside.

Map of the plague in Europe – Original by Roger Zenner (de-WP)Enlarging & readability editing by user Jaybear / CC BY-SA

12. But the Black Death ravaged the city in the 17th century 

When the second wave of the pandemic hit Europe, it hit Milan hard.

The Italian Plague of 1629-1631 is also known as the Great Plague of Milan. The city lost 46% of its population, with 60,000 death out of a total population of 130,000.

13. Most of the inventions from Leonardo da Vinci are stored in the National Museum of Science and Technology

The Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia is a major museum in Milan, and opened in 1953.

The interesting fact is that this museum hosts the largest permanent exhibition dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci in the world. The Leonardo da Vinci section has many inventions from the Renaissance genius, recreated from his drawings.

14. The tram network in Milan is one of the most developed in the world

While the metro system in Milan only has 4 lines, the tram system is way more developed.

It boasts an impressive number of 17 lines, and the network extends over 181 km (113 miles). This makes it one of the biggest tram networks in the world, along with the Riga network in Latvia, and the St Petersburg network in Russia.

15. Milan has 2 of the strongest teams of the Italian football league

Milan is definitely a football city, with not 1, but 2 major teams.

In 1908, the AC Milan split in 2 teams: the AC Milan, and the Inter Milan.

The 2 teams have always been a part of the Serie A championship, and they are frequently both in the top 10 rankings.

16. The San Siro Stadium is the largest stadium in Italy

The Stiadio Giuseppe Meazza, known as the San Siro Stadium, is the biggest stadium in Italy.

It can seat 75,923 individuals, and it’s the 9th biggest stadium in Europe.

The stadium is shared by the 2 football teams of the city, and even hosted the World cup in 1990.

17. Silvio Berlusconi, the ex Italian Prime Minister, owned the A.C Milan football team

Ok I promise, this is the last football fact about Milan.

But did you know that the ex Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi used to own the AC Milan football team?

For over 30 years, he was the owner of the club; from 1986 to 2017.

18. The Teatro alla Scala is one of the leading Opera house in the world

While Opera was born in Florence, Milan is also one of the leading Opera cities in the world.

This comes mainly from its opera house, the Teatro alla Scala, or La Scala. Many of the best singers in the world have performed in La Scala, or even premiered there.

The opera house was built in 1778; in 2002, it was in dire need of a renovation. The renovation work lasted 2 years, and ended up costing a staggering 61,000,000€ (61 million euros).

La Scala opera house in Milan by Roderick Eime

19. Napoleon was crowned King of Italy in the Milan Cathedral in 1805

Back to the Duomo for 2 facts about the Milan Cathedral.

In 1796, the French Army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, invaded Italy.

After conquering most of Italy, Napoleon created the Kingdom of Italy in 1805; he was crowned in the Milan Cathedral on May 26 1805, and became King of Italy.

20. You can adopt a gargoyle from the Milan Cathedral

And finally, the last of the Duomo of Milan facts.

Do you remember the 135 gargoyles of the Milan Cathedral in fact #5?

Well, they’re up for adoption!

You can choose any of the 135 gargoyles, or spires as they’re called, and donate to help their preservation. Here’s the link to donate if you want to adopt one: Adopt a Gargoyle

21. The famous painting “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci is in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie

The Last Supper is probably one of the most famous paintings in the world, along with the Mona Lisa. Well, they were both made by Leonardo da Vinci.

While it’s a pretty known fact that the Mona Lisa is in the Louvre museum, do you know where’s The Last Supper?

It’s located in Milan, in the Santa Maria delle Grazie church. The painting is actually on the wall of the Church’s refectory, and it’s actually massive: 4m60 by 8m80 (15 by 29 feet).

22. Milan is home to a strong Filipino community

This is one of the little known and fun facts about Milan Italy.

Italy is the country with the highest amount of Filipino in Europe, concentrating 33% of the abroad Filipino population in Europe.

Most of them are located in Milan, and there are an estimated 34,000 Filipinos living in Milan!

23. More than 20% of the population is made of foreign residents

Actually, Filipinos are not the only foreigns in Milan.

Out of the 1,4 million people living in Milan, there are more than 260,000 foreigners; foreign residents make up for 20% of the population.

Milan has the largest Chinese community in Italy, and the Chinatown district in Milan is definitely worth a visit!

24. Just like Venice, Milan has canals

Venice is not the only Italian city with canals; Milan also has some!

The Milan canals are known as the Navigli, a system of 5 canals connecting the different neighborhoods.

In recent years, trains & trams developed heavily, and the canals were slowly abandoned. Today the canals in Milan are barely used, but you can still go on a boat tour on the canals!

25. Milan was once Spanish, and Austrian

Oh, and French too!

In 1525, Milan became part of Spain under the rule of Charles V.

In 1714, Milan became Austrian, and remained in the Austria Kingdom until 1859, with the exception of 1805-1814 when the city was ruled by Napoleon.

In 1859, the Austrians lost the Battle of Solferino; Milan then joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

Alexander Suvorov capturing Milan from the French in 1799

26. Milan was the capital of the Western Roman Empire

This is the last of our Milan history facts.

Remember the initial name of the city, Mediolanon? Well, when the Romans captured the city from the Celts in 222 BC, they renamed it Mediolanum.

Many years later, in 286 AD, the capital of the Western Roman Empire was moved, from Rome to Milan.

27. Milan is one of the Fashion Capital of the World

Let’s take a wild turn here and talk about something completely different: fashion.

Historically, Milan has been considered as the Fashion Capital of the World ever since the 16th century. Nowadays, there are several other cities in this position (New-York, Paris and London), but Milan always remains one of the best.

There are several reasons for this, among which the Quadrilatero d’Oro with a high concentration of the best luxury fashion boutiques & workshops, or the Milan Fashion Week one of the key fashion events in the world.

28. It’s the 2nd most visited city in Italy, after Rome

With all the facts you’ve read above, it’s not hard to imagine that many people want to discover Milan.

And as a fact, Milan is the 2nd most visited city in Italy, with 6.3 million tourists in 2018. It’s second to Rome, with 9.5 million tourists.

Overall, it’s the 7th most visited city in Europe.

29. The Arch of Peace is a mockery of Napoleon and France

And finally, the last of our 29 Milan facts!

After conquering Northern Italy in 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the construction of a triumphal arch at the Sempione Gate, one of the entrances of the city.

Before construction was finished, Napoleon abdicted to the throne of Italy in 1814; the Austrian forces took Milan on April 28th 1814.

In 1838, the Arch of Peace was finished by the Austrian, who made it a mockery to Napoleon and France: the horse statues at the top were originally meant to be facing France, but the Austrians turned them 180 degrees to turn their back to France. 

So there you have them, the 29 interesting facts about Milan Italy!

If you want to learn more about the city, keep reading for some general facts and info. 

General Milan Italy Facts

You’ll find below a few general Milan Italy facts, to learn more about this Italian city:

• Name: Milan | Milano (Italian)
• Province: Metropolitan City of Milan
• Region: Lombardy
• Land area: 181.8 km² / 70.2 square miles
• Population: 1,395,274 (city) | 4,336,121 (metropolitan area)
• Name of inhabitants: Milanese
• Website: Comune di Milano

Where is Milan? Milan on a Map

Milan is a city located in northern Italy, in Lombardy. It’s north of Genoa & Cinque Terre, and east of Turin.

Here you can see it on the map, to have a better understanding of where it is in Italy:

Milan Flag

More Facts!

Do you want even more facts about Italy?

Check out the following posts:

• Sicily facts
• Tuscany facts
• Sardinia facts

Or click here to see ALL the facts up on the blog! Spoiler alert: there is A LOT of them.

The Full List of 29 Milan Facts

1. The city was founded by the Celts, in 600 BC
2. Milan is the 2nd largest city in Italy
3. The Milan Cathedral is the 3rd largest catholic church in Europe
4. The Milan Cathedral construction took more than 500 years
5. There are more than 3,400 statues on the Duomo
6. The Milan Conservatory rejected the application of now-famous composer Giuseppe Verdi
7. The King Vittorio Emanuele II statue on the Central Square is always clean, despite the hundreds of pigeons around
8. The Pirelli Tower is the first skyscraper built in Italy
9. Milan is the Italian city with the most skyscrapers
10. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is the oldest shopping mall in Italy still in activity
11. Milan was not affected by the Plague in the 14th century
12. But the Black Death ravaged the city in the 17th century 
13. Most of the inventions from Leonardo da Vinci are stored in the National Museum of Science and Technology
14. The tram network in Milan is one the most developed in the world
15. Milan has 2 of the strongest teams of the Italian football league
16. The San Siro Stadium is the largest stadium in Italy
17. Silvio Berlusconi, the ex Italian Prime Minister, owned the A.C Milan football team
18. The Teatro alla Scala is one of the leading Opera house in the world
19. Napoleon was crowned King of Italy in the Milan Cathedral in 1805
20. You can adopt a gargoyle from the Milan Cathedral
21. The famous painting “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci is in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie
22. Milan is home to a strong Filipino community
23. More than 20% of the population is made of foreign residents
24. Just like Venice, Milan has canals
25. Milan was once Spanish, and Austrian
26. Milan was the capital of the Western Roman Empire
27. Milan is one of the Fashion Capital of the World
28. It’s the 2nd most visited city in Italy, after Rome
29. The Arch of Peace is a mockery of Napoleon and France

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