Villas and palaces in Milan are used to indicate public and private buildings in Milan of particular artistic and architectural value. Milan has always been an important centre with regard to the construction of historical villas and palaces, ranging from the Romanesque to the neo-Gothic, from Baroque to Rococo.
History
The spread of the construction of patrician villas in Milan has early origins. Archaeological excavations have revealed a complex system of villas from the first imperial age, going back to about the 1st century BCE.
After the fall of the Barbarians and the end of the Middle Ages, a new tradition of aristocratic refinement, chivalry and good taste was established in Milan by the ruling Visconti and Sforza families. Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries the local nobility built luxurious residences to demonstrate their power and influence. Today only a few examples of these can still be seen, such as the ducal apartments of the Castello Sforzesco and other private villas such as Casa Borromeo and Casa Pallavicini. Not only Lombard but also Venetian, Ligurian, Piedmontese and Tuscan artists contributed to their design and decoration, the latter especially in the creation of frescoes.
The subsequent Spanish domination somewhat curbed the carefree enthusiasm of the humanist era, tending to favour the development of private architecture and making way for it by demolishing existing buildings.
The 18th century above all was marked by the construction in Milan of so-called "villas of delight" (ville di delizia). As the concept of the summer residence spread, villas were built there for nobles from Rome, Venice, Turin, Bologna and Naples who conducted their business in Milan.
With the industrial revolution came a new period of growth and an enhancement of the architectural beauty of the city, brought about during the 19th century by the influence of the Habsburgs, who sought to endow Milan with a new visual dimension since at this stage it was the second city of the empire after Vienna.
The 20th century was the last period of the "villas of delight". When it entered the new Kingdom of Italy Milan had become an industrial centre of major importance to the new economy and in particular one of the key points for exchanges with Europe. The bourgeoisie then settled in the city as the new 'aristocrats' of the second industrial revolution, seeking to return Milan to the grandeur of the past.
Despite the extraordinary architectural heritage of the city, what can be seen today represents only a small part of what was created throughout the entire history of the city: the traditional tendency to build after having demolished already existing palaces, together with bombings from the second world war, greatly reduces the heritage of the city.
A list of palaces
Roman
The Emperor's Palace
13th century
Casa Panigarola (Piazza Mercanti) Palazzo della Ragione or the Broletto nuovo (Piazza Mercanti)
14th century
Loggia degli Osii
15th century
Casa Atellani (Corso Magenta) Casa Fontana Silvestri (Corso Venezia) Casa Parravicini (Via Cino del Duca) Cascina (della) Boscaiola or Cascina Boscarola Palazzo Acerbi Palazzo Carmagnola Palazzo Castani (Piazza San Sepolcro), seat of the Questura di Milano Palazzo Castelli-Borromeo (Piazza Borromeo) Palazzo Isimbardi Palazzo Pozzobonelli-Isimbardi Villa Mirabello (Via Villa Mirabello, 6), also known as the "Cascina Mirabello"
16th century
Palazzo di Brera (Via Brera) Palazzo dei Giureconsulti (Piazza Mercanti) Palazzo Marino, (Piazza della Scala) Palazzo Recalcati Palazzo delle Scuole Palatine Palazzo Stampa di Soncino, Casati Palazzo Taverna (Via Bigli) Villa Simonetta (Via Stilicone)
17th century
Casa Buttafava
Casa Crespi (Corso Venezia) Casa degli Omenoni (Via degli Omenoni) Casa Toscanini Palazzo Annoni (Corso di Porta Romana, 6) Palazzo Arcivescovile Palazzo del Capitano di Giustizia (Corso Europa) Palazzo Cusani (Via Brera, 15) Palazzo Dugnani (Via Manin, 2) Palazzo Durini-Caproni or "Palazzo Durini" (Via Durini) Palazzo Erba Odescalchi Palazzo Litta or Palazzo Arese (Corso Magenta, 24) Palazzo Olivazzi (Via Bigli) Palazzo Orsini (Via Borgonuovo) Palazzo Pusterla Brivio Palazzo delle ex Scuole Arcimbolde Palazzo del Senato (Via Senato) Palazzo Sormani (Corso di Porta Vittoria, 6), seat of the Biblioteca Comunale di Milano Palazzo delle Stelline Palazzo Toscanini (Via Durini)