One of the most celebrated fashion designers ever, Giorgio Armani was born into a humble Italian family in 1934. Growing up near Milan, young Giorgio became so impressed with the city's worldly art galleries and fashion houses that he gave up his plans of becoming a doctor to pursue a career in the fashion industry. In 1964, without any formal training, Armani created a hugely successful line of menswear for the house of another fashion giant, Nino Cerruti. Ten years later, following his partner's advice, Armani opened his own Milan design house, and almost immediately won critical acclaim. His innovative take on the traditional business suit introduced relaxed yet voluptuary tailoring, granting Armani the kind of recognition and financial success which few others could achieve. According to Forbes, Armani's fashion empire is presently one of the most profitable, and already worth well over $135 million. What certainly added to Armani's success was his “power suit,” which became an unmistakable symbol of the 1980s business boom. Armani is also known as the first designer to loan his clothing to celebrities, such as Michelle Pfeiffer and Jodie Foster, and to promote his collections in films like 'American Gigolo' (1980) and TV series, most notably the internationally successful 'Miami Vice' (1984-89).

Italian thinker, painter and sculptor Umberto Boccioni is considered one of the initiators of the Futurist movement in art and sculpture. Born in Reggio di Callabira, the artist was initially influenced by Maestro Giacomo Balla and his technique of pointillism, which is the practice of applying dots and small strokes to produce paintings. In 1908, Boccioni moved to Milan, where he met F.T. Martinetti, who introduced him to the theory of literary Futurism. The idea of overthrowing old artistic traditions in order to explore the dynamism and crudeness of modern life immediately won the artist's attention. In 1910, Boccioni helped draft the manifesto of Futurism, in which he called for the elimination of traditional perspective and the extensive use of whirling lines in painting and sculpting. The works which best illustrate Boccioni's art rules are his masterpieces 'The City Rises' (1910) and 'Unique Forms of Continuity in Space' (1913). In 1917, during his service in the army, Boccioni's brilliant career was cut short when the artist died after falling off of a horse.

An Italian Baroque painter and the most successful and revolutionary artist of his time, Caravaggio is often referred to as the best representative of early 17th-Century Naturalism. Born in the small town of Caravaggio, at only 11 years of age Caravaggio became an apprentice to the painter Simone Peterzano of Milan. After four years of study in Milan, he moved to Rome, where he mastered the demanding techniques of the Baroque school of painting. Caravaggio's first success came with the completion of his masterpieces 'The Calling of Saint Matthew' (1599) and 'The Conversion of Saint Paul' (1600). Soon, the artist was hailed as the Most Famous Painter in Rome, and enjoyed a life full of luxury and critical acclaim. Yet despite all the success, Caravaggio led an extremely turbulent lifestyle, and was commonly regarded as a trouble-maker. In 1606 he was accused of murder and involvement in numerous brawls. In 1610, just a decade into his career, Caravaggio disappeared and was declared dead, though his body was never found. During his brief carrier, the artist produced an impressive number of paintings, many of which entered the curriculum of Art History. His most recognisable works include 'Boy with a Basket of Fruit' (1593) and 'Bacchus' (1597).

A master painter, sculptor, architect, inventor and engineer, Leonardo da Vinci is the embodiment of a Renaissance man and one of the most renowned representatives of the 15th-Century Italian art scene. Born in 1452 in Vinci, not far from the city of Florence, Leonardo had begun painting by his early childhood years. His talent was quickly recognised by his father, who sent the 14-year-old boy to Florence to become apprentice to the painter Andrea del Verrochio. Famously, when Verrochio asked Leonardo to paint one of the angels on the painting entitled 'Baptism of Christ' in 1477, he so obviously outdid his master that Verrochio swore never to touch his brushes again. In 1482, Leonardo moved to Milan, where under the patronage of the Duke of Milan (Ludovico Sforza) he produced some of his best works, notably 'The Last Supper' (1498) and 'Madonna and Child with St. Anne' (1499). Although da Vinci spent 17 years in Milan, he managed to finish only six paintings during that period. From 1499 until his death in 1516, Leonardo worked in Italy and France, producing such masterpieces as 'Mona Lisa' (1503-07), 'St. John the Baptist' (1514) and Bacchus (1515). Throughout his career, da Vinci also masterminded a number of inventions and engineering constructions far ahead of his time – a tank, helicopter and calculator being just a few of them. Additionally, the artist was interested in metallurgy, civil engineering and optics. He also made a huge contribution in the field of anatomy with his 'Vitruvian Man', a study of human symmetry.

Born at Cassano d'Adda in the province of Milan, Valentino Mazzola is known as one of the legendary Milanese football players who died in the infamous disaster involving a Superga aircraft in the 1940s. Mazzola first became interested in pursuing a career as a football player when he noticed a team playing near the factory in which he was working. Although Mazzola applied to the team almost immediately, he was accepted just before the outbreak of World War II. In 1939 Mazzola had to quit the team in order to join the Italian Army. While stationed near Venice, he began attending the trainings of a local football team, Venezia AC, but his initial achievements were rather underwhelming. Mazzola's first break came in 1941, when he led the team to victory in the Coppa Italia Final. Soon, the young player caught the attention of a rival football team from Torino, who eventually bought Mazzola out of his team. With Torino, Mazzola enjoyed a string of successes, winning the League title in 1943, 1946 and 1948. In 1949, Mazzola's team won the last title they would get until the mid-1970s. During his eight-year career at Venezia and Torino, the celebrated player scored 109 goals. On May 4, 1949, when Mazzola and his team were flying back from a game in Lisbon, their Superga aircraft crashed, killing all but one man on board.

You may have the universe, if I may have Italy.

The renowned Italian composer, a master of 19th-Century opera, was born in the small village of Le Roncole in the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. He discovered his musical talent when he attended a nearby cathedral in Busetto and a local Jesuit school. At the age of 20, Verdi went to Milan to continue his studies. He gave his first public performance in 1830 at the house of Barezzi, a wealthy merchant and music lover who supported the young composer financially. His first success was 'Nabucco', performed at La Scala in 1842. Another significant opera that he wrote was 'Macbeth' (1847), while in his later career he would create two more works based on Shakespeare, namely 'Othello' and 'Falstaff'. A decade after 'Nabucco', three great operas, 'Rigoletto' (1851), 'La Traviata' (1853) and 'Il Trovatore' (1853), made Verdi famous throughout Europe. In 1871, the opening of the Suez Canal in Cairo was celebrated with his opera 'Aida'. He died of a stroke in Milan.

Manzoni was a writer and poet, especially famous for his novel 'I Promesi Sposi' (The Bethrothed), claimed to be one of the best books written in Italian. He was born in Milan to a rich land owner, while his maternal grandfather was the famous jurist Cesare Beccaria. During his early education he was influenced by the anti-Catholic ideas of Voltarianism, however in his later works a support for democratic and Jacobean ideals is predominant. After the death of his father in 1805, Manzoni lived in Paris for several years, then returned to Italy and married Henriette Blondel. His first tragedy, 'Il Conte di Carmagnola', published in 1819, broke the classical conventions of its genre. He was the author of poems, critical and philosophical essays, but it wasn't until 'I Promesi Sposi' was published that he gained much acclaim. It is a romance placed at the time of the 17-Century plague in Milan. The author's monument is situated within the city. He was also honoured by Verdi's 'Requiem'.

This archbishop of Milan came from the famous Visconti family and initiated their rule in this city. He spent his early years in Novara, Piedmont, where he was an assistant to Cardinal Ottaviano Ubaldini. In 1260, Ottone gained the title of podesta of Novara, fulfilling the official function of a Chief Magistrate. Two years later, Pope Urban IV made him Archbishop of Milan. In 1277, opposition arose against him from the Della Torre family, especially from Napo della Torre, who had fought against his cousin Teobaldo Visconti’s army at Angera in 1276. However, Visconti managed to defeat him in the Battle of Desio, and soon he was recognised as lord of the city. This victory let him and his family hold power over Milan and Lombardy until 1450. Ottone, succeeded by his nephew Matteo, spent his last years in the Abbey of Clairvaux, where he died in 1295.