MILAN: Chief city of north Italy; seat of an archbishopric; population 300,000. It is said to have been founded by the Celtic Prince Bellovesus as the capital of the Insubri of Cisalpine Gaul. Taken by the Roman General Cneius Scipio, it became the Latin citadel of Mediolanum and grew rapidly until it later attained eminence in science and art, so that it was termed New Athens. Destroyed by the Huns, it was rebuilt by the Longobards and Franks and flourished as the first city of northern Italy under Charlemagne. With the peace of Constance (1183) it became a free city, and fell a prey to internal strife between the partizans of the Ghibellines under the Visconti and the Guelfs, until the former triumphed. There are seventy-nine church, at the head of which is the white marble cathedral, the third largest church in the world, unique with its pinnacles and statuary, belonging to the later florescent culmination of medieval church architecture. It was begun in 1386, and is dedicated to Saint Mary and St. Thekla. St. Ambrose and St. Barromaus are the patron saints of the city, the relics of the latter being preserved in the crypt of the cathedral. San Lorenzo is the oldest church of Milan. San Ambrogio, formerly the cathedral, is the church to which Bishop Ambrose denied Emperor Theodosius entrance until he had done penance for blood-guiltiness, and at the site of the present altar Ambrose is said to have baptized Augustine. In the refectory of a former cloister next to the Church of St. Mary is the famous painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. The famous Bibliotheca Ambrosiana was founded in 1609.

Tradition has it that Barnabas was the apostle of Milan. Local historians recognize Anatolo as the first bishop. He was a Greek by birth, a pupil of Barnabas, and served eight years after 53 or 55, when he was succeeded by another follower of Barnabas, Caius. Under Merocles (304-315) the Emperor Constantine issued his famous edict of Milan (313) granting religious freedom to Christians. Dionysius (352-265) opposed the Arianism of Emperor Conatantius, supported Athanasius at the Council of Milan (355), and was exiled to Cappar docia. Ambrose (374,397), the most famous bishop of Milan, convened synods in 380, 381, and a provincial synod in 390, at which the pope was commended for his concern for the Church, the

Jovinian errors were explained, and the Ithacians (followers of Ithacius, bishop of Sossuba, the arch persecutor of the Priscillianists; see Priscillian) were condemned.

Milan began to be an archbishopric before the middle of the fourth century. Under Constantine, Milan with seven provinces and Rome with ten formed the two divisions of Italy, so that, besides Rome, it was the only large archbishopric. According to A. Binterim the archbishopric embraced twenty-six bishoprics as late as the seventh century. According to two letters of Gregory VII., there were then twelve, on account of the erection of other districts. The archbishopric has now these eight suffrages: Brescia, Bergamo, Como, Pavia, Creme, Lodi, Cremona, and Mantua. In 535 appeared the Ostrogoths, Archbishop Datius (530-552) was banished (536), and the city was sacked and destroyed (539). When the Longobards tbok the city, Archbishop Honoratus (568670) fled to Genoa (569), and not till 649 did the archbishops reside again in Milan. The end of the Carolingian dynasty marked the decline of the secular princes and the ascendency of the bishops in power and influence. Lambertus (921-932) had to pay a heavy price to King Berengar for his seat. The zenith of secular power was reached by Heribert (1018-45), the mightiest prince of his time in northern Italy, an ambitious and warlike potentate to whom Conrad II. owed his crown. The evils from which all the churches of northern Italy suffered were Simony and Concubinage (qq.v.), of which Archbishop Guido de Velate (1046-70) was himself guilty; but a strenuous reform arose in Milan which received official sanction at a synod near Rome, upon which Guido sold his archdiocesal honors. These evils caused a violent struggle be. tween two opposite parties, until, after a great earthquake in 1117, a vast synod of clericals and laity was assembled by Archbishop Jordan II. (1112-1120) which determined upon the extermination of the evils. Emperor Frederick I. reduced the city in 1162, and Gaklinus (1166-76) received the returning fugitives and witnessed its rebuilding. The Ghibelline Giovamii Visconti (1342-54) was a friend of Petrarch and a patron of Dante to whose " Divine Comedy " he ordered a commentary to be prepared by two theologians, two philosophers, and two masters of the liberal arts. Under Antonio de Saluzzo (1380-1402) the erection of the present cathedral was begun: Chares Barrommus (1565-84) distinguished himself by convening no less than six provincial and eleven diocesan synods for the thorough reformation of his archdiocese. His nephew Frederigo Barromeo (1595-1631) rendered immortal service for the promotion of the Bibliotheca Ambrosiana, and carried forward the reforms of his uncle to such an extent that Philip II. of Spain ruled Milan with the least despotism and instructed his governor that he was commissioned not only as governor but as servant of the archbishop, who, by the promotion of religion, made many troops dispensable. Philip Visconti (1784-1801) was contemporaneous with the horrors of the French invasion in 1796, and died away from his diocese at Lyons. After 1846 came the great revolution in Milan and before

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the end of the war with Austria the emperor proposed Paul Ballerini, who was, however, not accepted, and in 1867 Luodovico Nazari di Calabiana was elevated to the dignity. The present archbishop is Andreas Ferrari (q.v.), who was enthroned in 1894.

The chapter consists of seven dignitaries, eight ordinary canons, eight deacons, three subdeacons, one master of ceremonies, one master of the choir, four notaries, eight readers, six middle canons, and two chaplains. The entire archdiocese ~ includes 1,323,000 souls, 743 parishes, and 2,167 priests.

Bibliography: F. Ughelli, Italia Sacra, iv. 2-281 10 vole Venioe, 1717-22; A. Sasst Arehiepiscopi Mediolani, 3 vols., Milan, 1755; J. CappellettL Le Chiese d'ltalia, xi. 35-30b, Venios, 1858; E. Anemueller, Geschichts der ver Jassung Mailande in den Jahren 1076-1117, Have, 1881; V. Forcella, Milano net smolo xvii., Milan, 1898; J. Cart wright, Beatrice d'Este. Duchess of Milan, 1476-87, London, 1899; A. Goldechmidt, Die Kirchanfh4r de$ Heiligen Ambrosius in Mailand, Strasburg, 1902; F. Lemnlk La li~slaurasione ausbiaca a Milano not 1814, Bologna, 1902; lr. Curio. Milano durante it prima rbpno d'Italia, 1806-14. Milan, 1904; KL, viii. 48&-508.