If we start complaining to our wife that we need some Italian salami, parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes, don’t be surprised if we have to travel to Milan at the next weekend.
Milan’s history dates back to the Celts, but it was the Romans who made it truly significant, when it became an important seat of the empire under the name Mediolanum. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, under the rule of the Visconti and Sforza families, the city became a European center of art and politics. Leonardo da Vinci also worked here, not only painting The Last Supper, but also helping to design the city’s canal system, the Navigli.
The city’s past is also surprisingly rich in Hungarian aspects. Few people know, but after the 1848-49 War of Independence, many Hungarian emigrants found a home here. The name and memory of Lajos Kossuth also appear in the city, as the Italian unification movement and the Hungarian freedom struggle were closely intertwined. And on the stage of the famous Scala opera house in Milan, Hungarian greats such as József Simándy or Éva Marton achieved success. In fact, we can even find Hungarian threads in the construction of the Milan Cathedral, as according to some sources, Hungarian stonemasons also worked on the monumental Gothic towers.
After checking into the hotel, we headed towards the city center to see the Cathedral, which is one of the largest Christian churches in the world. Walking under the white marble lace, one can feel the centuries-old work that has made this city one of the fashion and economic capitals of the world. Milan is now not only about history, but also about modernity, glittering shops and that special Italian elegance that cannot be experienced anywhere else in such concentration.
