Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/532

* MILAN. 480 HILAN. of art, a choice {,'"11^0' of paintings of the BoTognese ami Lombard scliodls. a line collec- tion of casts for nKKlelin^; purposes. :i spk-mlid national library eotitainin;,' about .'i.'iO.OdO vol- umes and pamphlets, and a rare eiiUection of manuscripts, medals, and antiiiuities. It has also attached to it an observatory and a bdtanical •rarden. The masterpieces of painting here include Raphael's far-famed ".Sposalizio,'" Mantegna's "Piettl," and Bellini's "Saint Mark." The Brera has been greatly enlarged latterly, and many pictures of high rank have been added to its col- lection. One of the features of the national li- brary is a room devoted to the editions and autograph writings of llanzoni. Another large library is the Ambrosian (q.v. ). The liorromeo Palace also has a meritorious collection of paint- ings. The Museo P(ildi-Pezzoli nlTers a fine col- lection of paintings, weapons, furniture, porce- lain, etc. The IMuseo Civico is worthy of men- tion for its superb ornithological collection. There is also a permanent art exposition, and Jlilan now has good scientific collections. The Palazzo Reale and the areliic[)iscopal palace are old. and have some attractive fea- tures. The fine and elaborate Castello di Porta Giovia dates from 1308. and is the castle of Milan, being associated with the city'.s governmental and historic career. Among the noteworthy new and attractive secular buildings arc the Exchange, finished in 1!)01. the prefecture. and Palace of .lust ice. Xotal)le features in the city also are (he Court of the Marino Palace, the Corinthian Colonnade, the finest relic of Ttoman times in .Milan, and the well-known triumphal arch begun by Xapoleon T. Other conspicuous public monuments are the statues of Victor Em- manuel II. and of Cavour. Canova's notable statue of Napoleon I., the huge equestrian statue of Garibaldi, an equestrian statue of Napoleon III. in conimcmuraliim of .Magenta, the monu- ment to Leonardo liy .Magni. the statues of Car- dinal Borromeo and Parini. and the monument to Manzoni. The Cimitero .Monumcntalc. with its decorative tond)s and its elaborate crematicjn tcniple, is visited by all tourists. Milan is famous for its vast Scala Theatre, which was built in 1178 for operas and ballets. It accom- modates StiOO persons. Milan is the centre for music in Italy. The famous Conservatory of Music is established in the buildings of an an- cient monastery. In recent years many new schools have been built, and the number of day and evening scholars has increase<l rapidly. Milan has an Academy of Science aiid Literature, a college for girls, and medical, high, and normal schools. The fine poly- technic, dating from ISfi.5, a commercial academy, an agricultural school, a royal astronomical ol)- servatory. an ,ccademia di Belle Arti are other educational in-titutions. Thi're are also a mu- nicipal zoiilogical colU'ction, and botanical gar- dens, and theatres. The government of the city is highly elhcient. and enormous sums have been expended on public improvements. The fiiiinln is composed of men of wealth and family connections, and also of a nund)er of successful business and professional men. The new system of sewers empties into the swift cov- ered-over Seveso. whence the sewage passes to the Adriatic by way of the Po. The city water for domestic purposes comes principally from large artesian wells, and for industrial purposes from the canals. The <lifferent philanthropic organiza- tions under the control of the Board of Charities liavc property valued at over .HoIi.DOO.OOO, and a yearly income of .'fil.tiOO.OOO. The ilaggiore hos- pital is one of the largest in the world, accommo- dating 4(J00 patients. It dates from 14.50. It is a splendid brick cilitice. part Gothic, part Renais- sance. There are deaf and duml) institutions, and institutions for surgical operations and for ail- ments of the eyes. Milan has also public dor- mitories, soup-kitchens, etc. Milan is the leading financial city of Italy and possesses vast wealth. It has a ehandwr of com- merce and a stock exchange. It markets large quantities of grain, cheese. Imtter, eggs, and poul- try, and manufactures silk, leather. and woolen goods, stationary engines, locomotives, railway machinery, carriages, furniture, glass and earth- enware, and chemical products. A royal mint and a royal tobacco factory are situated here, and there is a corn exchange. It is the centre also of the Italian book trade, deserving to be called the Leipzig of Italy. In modern sculpture likewise it holds a leading rank. Not only are its industries by far the most important in Italy, lint its commerce is very extensive. The (irand Canal connects the navigable Olona with Lake Maggiore and the Tieino. 'I'he city is also in canal commu- nication with the Po. and with Lake Como through the Adda. It is an important centre of the national railway system. When the new 8im]ilon Tunnel is opened llie already immense traflic with mid-Europe, through the Saint Gotthard, will be lieavily increa.sed. Milan is connected by street railways with the neighbor- ing towns of Lombardy. The local system of electric street railways is excellent. The city owns the lines of this system and shares in its profits ; the Edison Comjiany operates the plant. In the last twenty years of the nineteenth cen- tury Milan grew more rapidly than anv other Italian citv. Population, in KSli). 124.000: in 1800, 191,000; in 1881. .-i-il.S:!!! ; in lilOl. 4111.400. Ill.sToRV. .Milan, tiu' ancient .Mediolamnii. ap- jicars first definitely in history in n.c. 222, when it was taken by the consuls Scipio and Marcus Marcellus from the (iauls. It rose to great prom- inence at the close of the third century A.D.. when Diocletian made it the cai>ital of Italy. There- after Milan was frequently a favorite Imjierial residence. It was from Milan that Constaiitine issued in ."il.'l the famous edict by whieli Chris- tianity was recognized. Milan became the seat of a bishop, and from t^7i to .S!)" this ofiicc was held by the celelirated .mbrose (q.v.). He es- tablished a ritual, which in some points varied considerably from the Roiiuin. and for a time Milan was the religious metropolis of Northern Italy, and almost entirely independent of Rome. This first era of prosperity was destroyed by the barbarian invasions: in :").'?i1 the city was laid waste liy the (ioths. and only in the tenth century did it begin to r ver. During the greater p:irt of the Middle .Ages the population of Milan was divided into great nobles (rnpitiinri), petty knights ( rnlvnu.ioren), and the general populace. Eor a long time the history of the city turns upon condirts between these various classes. In lO.'iO the .Archbishop .Aribert sought to make hims<df independent of all ecclesiastical and teTii))oral control, and for this purpose united with the rnpitnnci. He was however, opposed by the Emperor Conrad II., who