Milano is a city of fashion, a city fascinated with the idea of beauty, a city of stunningly beautiful Gothic architecture, a city of compelling culture, a city of the young, city of fabulous fairs and architectural accomplishments. All of these attributes seem to describe Milan, which is the business capital of Italy, which oozes its charm to its visitors in a matter of seconds. To a contemporary tourist Milan offers grand, awe inspiring buildings, a multitude of museums, riveting religious buildings, its culture as a mixture of the modern trends and the tradition that goes all the way back to the Roman Empire, glitz and glamour of its shopping malls and different nightlife zones that will appeal to the tastes of all visitors.
Most probably ancient Milan or Mediolanum was founded around 600 BC by Celtic Insubres (Gaulish population in Lombardy). Romans captured the city in 222 BC. In 286 Diocletian moved the capital of the Western Roman Empire from Rome to Mediolanum. It was in Milan that the emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 AD stopping the persecution of Christians and allowing Christianity to become the dominant religion of the Empire. It was overran by Huns in 452AD, destroyed by Ostrogoths in 539AD and conquered by Lombards in 596AD. Even Middle Ages were characterized by political uncertainty and constant battles for power. Eventually Visconti family managed to size the power and keep it for a century and a half. Over the centuries Milan was under French, Hapsburg Spanish and Austrian rule till the 1859 when it joined the Kingdom of Italy.
