When people ask why I chose Milan as my home place, I casually reply that I didn’t. I was selected by the city instead, referencing a scholarship awarded years ago that generated our bond. But who am I, if not someone constantly connecting dots to add some reason to emotional decisions, right?

Being who I am, I decided to chronicle this city and its symbols in a tetralogy, revealing in each chapter summarized facets of events, culture, and legends. Welcome to the very first chapter of my Milanese Saga.

Celtics, Romans, and a tribe led by a particular animal

Unlike other ancient European metropolises, Milan is a wealthy city established away from the sea, with no rivers crossing. For its time, it is accommodated in a privileged zone protected by the Alpine mountains by the north and rivers surrounding a marshy plain: The eastern Adda, the western Ticino, and the most significant Italian river, the Po, by the South. Following the latter’s Latin name, Padus, the Padana is a fertile land sheltered from natural disasters, floods, and drought.

Populated by Celt tribes more than 400 years before Christ, the area became vital for the Romans two centuries later when, in 218 BC, their inhabitants helped Hannibal to go south with the fury of his elephants. After initially retreating, the Romans conquered their victory in the Second Punic Wars and returned to possess the zone. They called Gauls the local barbarians “who came from the north with bear capes and horned helmets” and renamed the village of woodworkers and blacksmiths to Mediolanum. As the road to Gaul crossed its territory Mediolanum grew in ranks simultaneously with the decline of the Roman republic and the consequent rise of the Empire. Medionalum was elected the capital of the Western Roman Empire by the end of 200 AD, by the emperor Diocletian. 

Due to my passion for Symbology, a fascinating foundational legend is worth mentioning. Despite the apparent connection to the Celtic term for ‘land in the middle’ Medheland, it is said that the city’s name derives from an uncommon guide leading a tribe to establish a settlement in the area. The almighty goddess Belisama came to their leader in a dream and prophesied that an albino half-haired female pig would guide them into the perfect place. Not only did the goddess become ‘The Mother of Milano’, but the animal is still a symbol in the current decoration.

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Coming Next

Next, in the three remaining chapters on the History of Milan, we’ll explore the rise of foreign saint philosophers made patrons and the processes of invasion (or migration?) involving the Lombards. Then, we will dive into the Medieval and Renaissance following the Sforza, the Visconti, and Leonardo da Vinci. We will also cross the multiple external dominations — from the Spanish Habsburg to the French Napoleon. Finally, we will wrap up the tetralogy with the unification of Italy as a country and the modernization that followed the World Wars, paving the way for the current city of Design.

Make sure to come back for more, and let me know your thoughts on the comments. Arrivederci!