VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Milan is Italy's second largest city and the major financial and industrial center in the northern part of the country. The city has an urban population of 1.3 million people and a metropolitan population of 3.7 million.
The city's history dates back to the 3rd century B.C., when it was founded by Romans under the name of Mediolanum. In 286, Milan was declared the capital of the Western Roman Empire. From 1278 through 1447, the city was ruled by the Visconti noble dynasty and from 1450 until 1535 it was ruled by the Sforza dynasty. In 1859, Milan was incorporated into the new expanded Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia and became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
In the late 19th century, Milan saw a great industrial boom which made the city into a major European industrial centre.
Milan and its metropolitan area produce 9.3% of the national gross domestic product. The city has 400,000 companies and enterprises which make up 47.8% of Italy's Lombardy region, or 8.7% of Italian companies, which export 13.4% of the country's products. Milan is home to some of the headquarters and representative offices of Italy and the world's major financial and industrial companies and banks. The city's economy is dominated by small and medium sized businesses which employ about 60% of those working in the industrial sector. Highly developed areas in Milan are the electronic industry which produces 49% of the country's electronic equipment, and the textile industry, as Milan is one of the world's fashion centers. The Milan Stock Exchange is on a list of the world's top seven stock exchanges.
Milan hosts the FieraMilano, the country and Europe's biggest furniture and design fair, with help from Moscow's Expocenter and St Petersburg's Lenexpo. The fair also serves as chief organizer of the annual exhibition in Russia, Italy: Everyday Life.
The city is Italy's major transport hub, with the Malpensa and Linate airports and eight railway terminals. Milan is also the base of operations for Corriere della Sera, an Italian daily newspaper that is first in sales.
The city boasts a considerable number of architectural sites of global significance, such as Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral), one of the world's largest Gothic cathedrals built from 1386 through 1813, the Castello Sforzesco (Sforza Castle) constructed in 1450, the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, an architectural masterpiece of the Middle Ages built in 1587, and Santa Maria delle Grazie ("Holy Mary of Grace"), a church famous because if has the mural of "the Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci displayed in the refectory.
Milan is recognized for the world-renowned Pinacoteca di Brera ("Brera Art Gallery") and the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana art galleries which contain collections of Italian paintings by Raphael, Tintoretto, Titian, Sandro Botticelli, and Caravaggio.
Highly popular among visitors are the Duomo Museum, the Museo Poldi Pezzoli, and the Museo della Scienza e della Tecnologia "Leonardo da Vinci", a national museum of science and technology.
Milan has maintained long standing links with Russia. In September 1967, the city became a sister city to St Petersburg. In 1998, the city's administration, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and noted businessmen initiated the Milan/Italy-St Petersburg Committee aimed to expand connections between the two cities.
City residents and visitors have repeatedly seen performances by St Petersburg based Mariinsky Theatre at the world-renowned La Scala opera and ballet theatre. An agreement of partnership was scheduled for 2006 through 2010 and implies long-term reciprocal music tours, joint stage productions and exhibitions. The St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra is known to deliver annual performances at La Scala opera and ballet theatre.
March 3, 2002 saw the official opening of the Center to Promote Development of Italian-Russian Relations; this organization plays a major role in boosting business links between Milan and the Lombardy region and Russia's regions.
The mayor of Milan is Letizia Moratti who took office in May 2006.
