Milan (Milano) is one of the world's fashion capitals, and home to both Leonardo's Last supper and the world's premier opera house, La Scala. Above all, Milan is the centre of business in Italy and it is here and in provincial Lombardy that the demand for federalism-embodied by the right-wing Northern League. It is a leading commercial, financial, and manufacturing center of Italy and a major center of intellectual and artistic life. Milan is mainly a modern city, surrounded by industrial suburbs. It has many tall apartment and office buildings in the business district and extensive residential and industrial sections. A subway system was opened in 1964. The principal square is the Piazza del Duomo, at one end of which stands the Duomo, or cathedral, a huge Gothic structure of white marble, begun in 1386 and completed in 1965. To the southwest of the Piazza del Duomo is the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio (AD 386). Near the basilica is the 15th-century Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Adjacent to the church is a former Dominican monastery, in the refectory of which is the famous fresco Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.

It is distinctly sophisticated. Shopping, whether of the window variety or - for those who can afford it - the real thing, is of almost a religious significance. Theater and cinema flourish in this fashionable milieu, while top international artists always include Milan while on tour. The club scene is hopping. Food is another one of Milan's joys. Immigrants dish up eclectic cuisines to the delight of denizens and visitors alike. When you're tired of exquisite Lombard, Sicilian and Tuscan dishes, here you'll be able to find a fragrant bowl of pho or a spicy curry. Milan is certainly a Renaissance city.