History of MilanHistory & audio guide · Milan

Milan tends to present itself to the world with designer suits and financial rhythm, but beneath that skin it holds a far older, more powerful history. It began as a Celtic settlement and Rome turned it into Mediolanum —the "place in the middle"—, until, late in the 3rd century, it became an imperial seat: for a moment, more practical for governing the West than Rome itself. Here, in 313, the tolerance toward Christians that changed the course of late Antiquity was agreed.

From there, the city never stops remaking itself. Saint Ambrose makes it a Christian hub; the Visconti and the Sforza turn it into a duchy and a Renaissance court, with Leonardo working within it; France, Spain and Austria fight over it because it's the hinge of northern Italy. In the 19th century, Milan resists Austria in the Five Days and pushes unification forward. In the 20th it becomes an industrial engine… and also the place where fascism is born.

A nine-chapter special on a city built not from postcards but from action: empire, faith, art and industry, layered together and still alive beneath your feet.