Towards the close of the 15th century, the refined court of Lodovico Sforza attracted such celebrated men as Bramante, the architect; Gauffino Franchino, founder of one of the first musical academies, and the immortal Leonardo da Vinci from whose school came a number of brilliant artists. Later Leone Leoni of Arezzo achieved fame as a sculptor.
The picture gallery of the Brera occupies an imposing palace with a good courtyard by Ricchini. It also contains a library of some 350,000 volumes, a collection of coins numbering about 6o,000, and an observatory. The Brera Gallery possesses Ra phael's famous "Sposalizio," many pictures and frescoes by Luini, Gaudenzio Ferrari and Bramantino; and a collection of the works of Carlo Crivelli (ft. 1480), while the Venetian school is well represented by works of Paolo Veronese, Paris Bordone, Gentile Bellini, Cima da Conegliano, Bonifazio, Moroni and Car paccio.
The Castel Sforzesco, or Castle of Milan, stands in the Parco Nuovo; it was built in 1450 by Francesco Sforza on the site of one erected by Galeazzo II. Visconti (1355-1378) and demolished in 1447 by the populace after the death of Filippo Maria Visconti.
After many vicissitudes it was restored—including especially the splendid entrance tower by Antonio Averulino (Filarete, 1451 '453), destroyed by a powder explosion in 1521—in the 15th century style, and it is now a most imposing pile. Some fine windows with terra-cotta decorations are preserved. The ar chaeological museum is housed here : it contains Roman antiquities and mediaeval and Renaissance tombs and sculptures. Several rooms bear traces of the decorations executed under Galeazzo Maria and Lodovico it Moro. (See LEONARDO DA VINCI.) In the upper rooms is placed a large collection of Milanese and central Italian ceramics, stuffs, furniture, bronzes, ivories, en amels, glass and historical relics, with a picture gallery.
The finest modern thoroughfare is the Via Dante (1888), run ning from the Piazza de' Mercanti to the spacious Foro Bona parte, and thence to the Parco, a great public garden in which stands the Castello Sforzesco.
To the north of the castle is the Arena, a kind of circus erected by Napoleon in I 8o6 ; while facing the castle on the opposite side of the park is the Arco della Pace, begun by Napoleon in 1806, but finished by the Austrians in 1833. The Piazza del Duomo, the centre of Milanese traffic, is connected with the neighbouring Piazza della Scala by the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele (1865-67), a great arcade in the form of a Latin cross, with an octagon in the centre, crowned at the height of 16o f t. with a glass cupola; it is roofed with glass throughout, and is 32o yd. long, 16 yd. wide and 94 ft. high.
Near the Piazza della Scala is the Museo Poldi-Pezzoli, with valuable pictures, textile fabrics, arms, armour and antiquities. In the middle of the neighbouring Piazza della Scala stands Magni's monument of Leonardo da Vinci (1872). Opposite is
the celebrated Teatro della Scala, built in 1778 on the site of a church founded by Beatrice della Scala, wife of Bernabo Visconti. Af ter the San Carlo at Naples it is the largest theatre in Europe, and can seat 3,60o spectators. It has an interesting theatrical mu seum. Looking on to the piazza is the fine Palazzo Marino, the seat of the municipality since 1861 ; it was built by Galeazzo Alessi in 1558, to whom the side façade and the court are due, but was not completed until 189o, when the main façade was erected by Luca Beltrami. S. Fedele by Tibaldi (1569) is close by. Milan has a university, a. large school of engineering, the Bocconi com mercial university, and numerous other learned and educational institutions ; it has long been a great musical centre. A Verdi museum has been formed. There are many philanthropic institu tions, and public charities and services are particularly well ad ministered. Sport and athletics are provided by a number of clubs, notably the Touring Club Italiano, founded in Modern industrial development includes construction of loco motives, railway trucks and carriages, steam-boilers and motors, turbines, pumps, metal bridges and roofs. Minor industries are represented by workshops for the production of surgical, musical and geodetic instruments; of telephone and telegraph accessories; dynamos, sewing-machines, bicycles and automobiles and chemi cals. In textile industries silk (including artificial silk) holds the first place. Spinning and twisting are as highly developed as the weaving industry. Milan is also the centre of the Italian cotton industry. Cotton-weaving, dyeing and printing are extensively carried on. Linen, flax, jute and wool are also spun and woven. The Milanese manufactures of articles in .caoutchouc and of elec tric cables have acquired a world-wide reputation. In typography Milan is renowned principally for its musical editions and for its heliotype and zincotype establishments. The manufacture of fur niture of all kinds is still extensively carried on, Milan being the chief Lombard market and centre of exportation. The towns of Cantu, Meda, Lissone and Carugo supply Milanese firms with most of their merchandise, the furniture being made by the work men at their own homes with materials supplied by the Milanese buyers, who also advance the capital necessary for working ex penses. Theatrical costumes and appliances are also made in Milan, which is an important theatrical centre. House industry is still widely diffused in Milan itself, especially as regards working in gold, silver, vulcanite, bronze and leather. The motive power for much of the industry is supplied by electricity. Milan is also a centre of the export trade in cheese; chocolate, biscuits, etc., are also manufactured. Knitted underwear, fringes, tulles, velvets, gloves, shawls, passementerie, jewellery, etc., are produced besides.