Milan Luxury Travel

• Excellent shopping
• Fine Arts - Opera
• Trendy restaurants
• Fashionable nightlife
• Cosmopolitan life
• Lake Como
Approximately an hour’s drive from Milan lies the cosmopolitan and charming Lago di Como, or Lake Como. Since ancient times the lake has proven to be a popular getaway for the rich and famous, and even today many Hollywood stars have their own lakeside villas. With magnificent views of the Alps and cool waters, the lake is a brilliant summer retreat for those that prefer fresh mountain breezes and authentic Italian summer houses.

Settled originally by Celts around 400 BC, the surrounding areas and main settlement were conquered by the Romans in 222 BC and the new city was named Mediolanum. Under Roman rule and after several centuries of Roman influence, Milan was named the capital of the Western Roman Empire. As a trade and financial crossroads, Milan changed many hands over the centuries, from the Visigoths and the infamous Huns that almost destroyed the city in 452 AD, to the Ostrogoths that finally occupied and demolished the city in 539 AD. In 569 AD Milan and the surrounding area fell into the hands of the Longobards and a new and prosperous time began for this historic city. The financial wealth of Milan meant that over the centuries peace was quite elusive and the city was fought over by the current powers prevailing in Europe. Even Napoleon managed to bring Milan under his rule in 1796, and was crowned in the magnificent Duomo Cathedral. The unification of Italy between 1860 and 1870 meant that Milan would remain under Italian rule and allowed the city to reclaim its title as the financial, commercial, and industrial centre of Italy.