Milan

Milanese cooking reflects Lombardy's northern position: rice, butter, cheese and meat feature more than tomatoes and olive oil. Classic dishes are hearty and designed for cool, damp winters, though the city also has a huge range of international and contemporary restaurants.

Meals follow the usual Italian rhythm, with a light breakfast of coffee and a pastry, a lunch that is often quick on weekdays, and dinner starting around eight. The early evening aperitivo is a Milan institution, where a drink is served with snacks or a buffet at many bars.

Bakeries and pastry shops are important, especially around Christmas, when panettone dominates. Many locals still eat at trattorias serving regional dishes, and markets sell Lombard cheeses such as gorgonzola, taleggio and grana padano.

Milan began as a Celtic settlement and was conquered by Rome around 222 BC, becoming known as Mediolanum. In the late third and fourth centuries AD it served as a capital of the Western Roman Empire, and in 313 the Edict of Milan, associated with Constantine and Licinius, granted religious tolerance to Christians. Bishop Ambrose later made the city a major Christian center.

In the medieval period Milan became a powerful city-state, ruled by the Visconti and then the Sforza families from the fourteenth to the early sixteenth century. This era saw the start of the Duomo in 1386 and the presence of Leonardo da Vinci at the Sforza court. Afterward the city passed under Spanish, then Austrian Habsburg rule, when institutions such as La Scala and the Brera academy were established in the eighteenth century.

Milan was a center of the movement for Italian unification in the nineteenth century, joining the Kingdom of Italy in 1859 to 1861. It was heavily bombed in the Second World War, then rebuilt and grew into Italy's industrial and financial capital. In recent decades it has reinvented itself through design, services and major redevelopment, notably around Expo 2015.

Milanese people are known for being punctual, efficient and image-conscious by Italian standards. Dressing smartly is the norm, and many restaurants, bars and especially churches expect a tidy appearance. Shoulders and knees should be covered to enter the Duomo and other churches.

Greetings are polite and fairly formal with strangers: a buongiorno when entering shops and a thank you when leaving are expected. Tipping is modest, and service is often not added in the way it is in some countries, though a small round-up is appreciated. Cappuccino is generally a morning drink, and ordering coffee standing at the bar is the local habit.

Cultural life is strong, with opera at La Scala, numerous galleries and design events, especially in April during the furniture fair and in February and September for fashion weeks. Hotels fill and prices rise sharply then, so booking ahead is wise. Many smaller shops and restaurants close for part of August when residents go on holiday.