Page 30 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Milan & The Lakes

28  INTRODUCING MILAN

Milan After Italy’s Unification half of the 19th century): Futurism, which
In 1861 the population of Milan was 240,000, was founded by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
which shows how much the city had grown (a plaque in Corso Venezia commemorates
under Austrian rule. However, the real the event). The Futurists were not only
demographic explosion was yet to come. important from an artistic standpoint, but
Although Milan did not become the political also because their ideas and actions fitted
capital after the unification of Italy, it became in perfectly with the cultural temper of
the economic and cultural capital the times, characterized by the
of the country. Infrastructure pro-intervention attitude regarding
created by the Austrians was World War I and then the rise
exploited to the full and by 1920 of Fascism. In fact, Fascism and
the city had developed into a Mussolini had a very close
thriving industrial metropolis. relationship with Milan. The original
Business was booming, Corriere della nucleus of the movement was
Sera, the leading Italian daily founded in Milan in 1919. In 1943,
newspaper, was founded, the city after the fall of the regime and
increased in size and the population the foundation of the Repubblica
exploded (there were 850,000 A Corriere della Sociale puppet government,
inhabitants in 1923). This over-rapid Sera poster Milan – severely damaged by
growth inevitably brought major bombing raids – was the last large
social consequences: the first trade union Italian city to remain under the control of
centre was founded, and socialist groups the remaining Fascists and the Germans.
grew in strength. On 26 April 1945, the story of Mussolini
Demonstrations and and Italian Fascism played out its final
strikes became more moments in Milan: the corpses of il Duce,
and more frequent, his mistress Claretta Petacci and some
and social ten sions party officials were put on display in
exploded in 1898, Piazzale Loreto, exactly the same place
when a protest where some partisans had been executed
against the high cost a few weeks earlier.
of living was violently
repressed by cannon
fire, on the orders of
General Bava Beccaris.
The 1898 demonstration
quelled by Bava Beccaris The early 20th century
witnessed the rise
of an important avant-garde movement
in Milan (the second in the city after the
Scapigliatura movement of the second Milan after the 1943 bombings

1866–7
Mengoni 1876 Foundation of 1900 Umberto I 1906 1919 Fascists 1943 The city
builds the Corriere della Sera assassinated by Falck firm meet in Piazza is heavily
Galleria Vittorio GaetanoBresci founded San Sepolcro bombed
Emanuele II
1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940
1898 Insurrection 1901 Verdi 1946 Toscanini
1873 Alessandro thwarted by dies at the conducts the
Manzoni dies Bava Beccaris Grand Hotel 1920 Fiera opening concert
et de Milan di Milano at the restored
1872 Pirelli company founded La Scala
founded Fiera poster

028-029_EW_Milan.indd 28 20/10/16 3:19 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
History Portrait template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.2)
Date 20th August 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm