City Introduction

Milan (Italian: Milano), is the capital of Lombardi Region, and has the history of more than 2,000 years. It is the secondary largest city in Italy and is also the most important economic center. It enjoys the name of “economic capital” and is the sister city of Shanghai City, China. When mentioning Milan, most women will firstly think of “fashion”, while the men will firstly think of “football” Milan is a fashion capital and the frontier of the world fashion. Milan has the best theater in Italy, the most gorgeous costumes and most extravagant night life, and almost all famous models and famous stars in the world gather here. Football is another symbol of Milan, where there are two football clubs with a long history. AC Milan and Inter.

In addition, Milan is a famous historical and cultural city, with abundant cultural heritage sites and historical architectures. Milan takes the lead in the fields of manufacturing, media and design in Italy.

 

 

 

 

History and Culture

Milan was initially discovered by the Celtics in the north of Italy in 600 B.C.. In about 222 B.C., the Romans defeated the Celtics, and quickly renamed Milan Mediolanum (means “center of the plain”). In the fourth century, Milan successfully became the second largest city in Europe. After 1200 years, Milan gradually became one of the important cities. The city walls were constantly extended, roads were built, and new buildings were constructed on the ground. Since 1300, the noble Visconti family started the ruling, and Milan entered into a prosperous and affluent era, when the famous Milan Cathedral was built as the city image of Milan.

Many years after the war between Venice and Florence, Sforzesco family replaced noble Visconti family, and then the city gradually got its peace. In this peaceful period, Milan became the center of science, art and literature. Leonardo da Vinci was an important person with respect to culture, art and science in the Renaissance, and made great contribution to the Renaissance in Milan. Milan in this era became an important cultural and art town in the early Renaissance.

Since Charles V became the emperor of Spanish Empire in 1535, Milan experienced the era of being ruled for about 200 years. In the early 1800s, the Austrians came to Milan and replaced the Spanish to rule Milan. Under the rule of the Austrians, great change was forced to take place in the city culture, and neoclassic architecture started being built. Napoleon set Milan as the capital of Republic of Italy in 1802. In 1805, the King of Italy was enthroned in Milan. In 1859, the Milanese people finally drove away the Austrians, and Milan was attached to Kingdom of Piedmont. In 1861, Milan was formally incorporated to the Kingdom of Italy. After being incorporated to Kingdom of Italy, Milan very quickly became the capital of economy and culture of Italy.

During the WWII, Milan was very severely bombarded, and fortunately, many precious cultural and artistic works survived in these bombardments, for example, “The Last Supper” by da Vinci was kept intact in spite of wars. After the WWII, Milan achieved very rapid development in urban economy and culture, and Milan has developed into a world-famous modern metropolis.

 

 

 

 

Climate Change

Milan has mild climate with four distinct seasons. It is dry in the summer and rainy in the winter. In hot summer, the atmospheric temperature is high, but it is very cool in the shade and in the room, and it is even somewhat cold in the nighttime. With the enticement of great price reduction in the summer, the summer obviously becomes the peak season for tourism in Milan.

Milan has the Mediterranean climate with four distinct seasons, being dry and hot in the summer, warm and rainy in the winter, while in the spring and autumn, the weather is very good, with mild temperature. So it is suitable for travel in four seasons. But in the summer, many shopping malls cut the prices, so it is suitable for the shopping tourists. So the summer is also the peak season for tourism in Milan. In December, the winter comes in Milan. So the tourists coming to Milan in December shall keep warm and bring some thick clothes. Sometimes even in the summer, it is very cool in the shade and in the room, particularly in the evening, it is even somewhat cold. So you’d remember to take the long-sleeve shirt in the summer.

 

 

 

 

Useful Information

Mobile phone/Tel.

Upper Level Stazione Centrale

Working time: 8:00-21:30

Introduction: There are various telephone number books. The branch in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II provides the fax service, with the business time 8:00-21:30, and mobile phone cards are sold here.

Network

Grazia cyber bar

Tel: 02 670 05 43

Address: Piazza Duca D'Aosta 40

Price: Euro 4 per hour

Business Hours: 18:00- 2:00 next morning

Introduction: The cheapest internet access place in Milan is near the Central Railway Station.

Post Office and post card

Central Post Office

Address: Via Cordusio 4. The Central Post Office is situated at P.za Edison 300m to the west of Milan Cathedral

Working time: 8:00-17:00, Monday to Friday; 8:30-noon, Saturday, except for the branch in Via Dante.

Introduction: The window for selling the stamp is No. 30. Parcel mailing is usually handled in the right rooms of the channel. There are post offices and telephone offices in Milan Central Railway Station. There are the branches set in the Station and Linate Airport.

Medical and pharmaceutical service

Ambulance: 118

Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico

Tel: 02 550 31

Address: Via Francesco

Pharmacy

Tel: 02 669 07 35

Address: Stazione Centrale

Business Hours: 24h

 

 

 

 

Currency Exchange

Euro is universal in Italy. Before the departure, it is better to exchange RMB into Euro in China, which will be more convenient. In addition, the exchange rate is the highest. For the travel in Italy, it is better to convert some cashes with small face value in China at the rate of Euro 50 to 100 per day, because some small stores and scenic spots only accept cash.

Bank business hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30-13:30, 14:45-15:45, which is fixed. Most British Airways set ATMs near Duomo Cathedral. In Milan Central Railway Station, there are many foreign currency exchange institutions for 24h service. Beside Milan Central Railway Station or Duomo Cathedral, there are many exchange points, but the handling fee is required. UnionPay

For the travel in Italy, withdrawal of Euro is not a problem any more because ATMs of UniCredit Bank support direct withdrawal of Euro with UnionPay debit card, max. Euro 500 per time, and allow multiple operations, and the main concern is the handling fee for every overseas withdrawal with the UnionPay card.

 

 

 

 

Religion

Milan's population, like that of Italy as a whole, is mostly Catholic. Milan is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese. Other religions include: Orthodox, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Protestantism. Catholic rite in Milan is called Ambrosian Rite. Slightly different from typical Catholic Rites (adopted in the western region), it has some different liturgy and the mass celebration activities. Ambrosian Rite is also popular in the surrounding area of Lombardi Region and the Ticino Canton in Switzerland. Another important difference is the liturgical music. In Milan and its surrounding areas, the Gregorian Chant was completely unused because the official one was its own Ambrosian chant, definitively established by the Council of Trent (1545–1563) and earlier than the Gregorian.

Italy is a religious country, where many precious artworks were born and stored in the churches. So it is compulsory to visit the churches. It is prohibited to enter the church by wearing short skirt, shorts or sweater. The designated personnel on the way in the Square to the church is responsible for checking the costumes of the visitors. So, if you plan to go to the church and it is very hot, you’d remember to take long skirt, long trousers and the jacket without the exposure of the arms.

 

 

 

 

Tourism Service Number

Police Station 113

Expressway Department Information Center Hotline (all weather): +39 06 43632121

Tel. of Chinese Embassy in Italy: (+39）06 8413458

Address: No. 56, Brussels Road, Rome, Italy

Tel. of Consulate General of China in Milan: (+39）02 5520306

Hospital emergency treatment hotline (toll free): 118

First aid tel. (toll free): 1180

Traffic- Inquiry Tel. in Milan Airport: (+39）02 74852200

Tel. of Inquiry in the Information Office in Milan Central Railway Station: (+39）02 72524360

Milan taxi tel.: 5353、8585、6767

Police first-aid tel. and fire alarm tel. (toll free): 115

Police alarm tel. (toll free): 112

Highway first-aid tel. (toll free): 116

Offshore first-aid tel. (toll free): 1530

Tel. for inquiry of other help telephone numbers (toll free): 12

Tourism information inquiry tel. (toll free): 1518

Consulting Tel. of Milan Tourist Office: (+39）02 809662、72022999

 

 

 

 

Notes

Personal safety

The large shopping malls in Milan are frequented by the thieves, who always attempt to distract tourists, so as to take action in proper time. So, during the shopping in the mall, particularly in the shopping malls near Milan Central Railway Station, you’d pay special attention to the persons walking around you. In addition, it is required to pay attention to the following points,

1. Watch your belongings well when taking public transport vehicles and shopping in the open-air market, to prevent theft.

2. Avoid the stay around Milan Central Railway Station in the nighttime.

3. It is unsafe to walk in the boisterous bar street late at night.

Laundry

Lavanderia Self－Service

Address: Via Tadino 4

Price: Euro 3.1 for small article, and Euro 6.1 for big article

Business Hours: 7:30-21:30

 

 

 

 

Festivals(Important/Historical/Folks Ones)

Liberation Day of Italy

April 25 is the Liberation Day of Italy, which is the public holiday, and there is the celebration activity in Milan, such as parade.

National Day of Italy

June 2 is the National Day of Italy, which is the statutory holiday. On that day, the celebration activity will be held in Milan, such as parade.

Carnival Latin Party

To be held from June 22 to July 30, with the activity contents covering concert, culture exhibition, film show, book exhibition and tourism information exhibition. Activity time starts from 18:00 p.m. to the 2:00 in the midnight.

Naviglio Carnival

The first ten days of June are Naviglio Carnival, when there are parades in the Milan streets, and the theaters present music and other performances.

Festival of Angels

Festival of Angels is one of the largest Italian festivals, not only the religious celebration, but also the traditional assembly. Teatro alla Scala starts new performance episode in this day.

Christmas Day

During the Christmas Day, the night Mass is usually held in the night of December 24 in the churches. Most restaurants and stores stop the operation.

Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano (Milan Furniture Fair)

Every April, the world-famous furniture show will be held in Milan, with the presence of professional companies in the related industries, such as furniture.

Milan Fashion Week

There are two fashion weeks in Milan every year, including spring and summer fashion week (September and October) and autumn and winter fashion week (February and March). Milan Fashion Week is one of the four largest fashion pageants, with the gathering of grand brands.