Milan through its women
When tracing the history of Milan, thoughts almost naturally turn to the grand ducal dynasties of the Visconti and Sforza families, to Enlightenment figures like Cesare Beccaria, or to the Founding Fathers who forged the Risorgimento. Yet beneath the surface of the city's most famous monuments lies a far more intricate narrative, one woven by the courage, genius, and determination of extraordinary women. Milan has never been a mere bystander in the story of female empowerment; it has served as its cradle and permanent laboratory. From Renaissance courts to 19th-century salons, from the trenches of cultural resistance beneath World War II bombings to the construction sites of starchitects redefining the 21st-century skyline, women have always led the way.
For too long, the memory of these pioneers remained confined to history books or hidden behind the portals of noble palazzos. Today, the city is claiming an act of historical justice, bringing to light an intangible heritage built on civil rights battles, scientific brilliance, legendary art rescues, and poetry. Exploring Milan through a female lens reveals a whole new urban map: squares where statues honor historical heroines and scientists, cloisters echoing pivotal political decisions, theaters tied to global dance icons, and skyscrapers reaching for the clouds.
This itinerary takes you through key stops to rediscover the women who built, stone by stone and idea by idea, the deepest soul and global appeal of Milan.
Piazza Belgioioso: the first statue dedicated to a woman
In 2021, this elegant square unveiled Milan’s first public statue dedicated to a historical female figure: Cristina Trivulzio di Belgioioso (1808–1871). A patriot, journalist, and revolutionary, she rejected her aristocratic privileges to fund the 1848 Five Days of Milan uprising and organize front-line medical care. Today, this visionary, trailblazing figure finally receives her rightful tribute in the heart of the city.
Casa Maffei and 19th-century salons: Clara Maffei
Countess Clara Maffei’s salon on via Bigli was the true political and cultural engine of milanese risorgimento. Her home regularly brought together Alessandro Manzoni, Giuseppe Verdi, and Francesco Hayez. Guided by extraordinary diplomatic skill and artistic vision, the countess cultivated a circle where liberal ideas and art flourished, laying the cultural foundations for the unification of Italy.
Navigli and Alda Merini
The "poetess of the Navigli" bound her verses deeply to the soul of the city. Just steps from her historic home, Spazio Alda Merini features a faithful reconstruction of her bedroom, including the famous "notes wall" where she scribbled thoughts and poetry in lipstick and marker. She remains one of the 20th century's most powerful poetic voices, capturing the authentic spirit of Milan.
Castello Sforzesco: Bianca Maria Visconti
Wife of Francesco Sforza and mother of Ludovico il Moro, Bianca Maria was among the most influential political figures of the renaissance. A skilled diplomat and strategist, she governed the duchy during times of crisis and championed the construction of the Ospedale Maggiore (Cà Granda), one of europe’s first major public healthcare institutions. Her legacy still echoes within the castle walls.
Brera and the Pinacoteca: Fernanda Wittgens
As the first woman to direct a major italian state museum in 1940, Fernanda Wittgens is the heroine who saved milan's artistic heritage. During WWII, she risked her life to move Brera’s masterpieces to safety and helped victims of nazi-fascist persecution escape before being arrested. Honored as Righteous Among the nations, she drove the post-war rebirth of the Brera Art Gallery.
Milan's Cimitero Monumentaley: Anna Kuliscioff
One of the first women in Italy to earn a medical degree, the "doctor of the poor" was a pivotal figure in civil rights history. Co-founder of the italian socialist party alongside Filippo Turati, her apartment in Piazza Duomo hosted an iconic european political salon. She fought tirelessly for women's suffrage and workers' rights; today, her legacy rests at the Milan's Monumental Cemetery.
Margherita Hack Park (Indro Montanelli Gardens)
Gardens, depicting her observing the stars as she emerges from a galactic vortex. It stands as the first public statue in Italy dedicated to a female scientist, created to celebrate an extraordinary mind and inspire future generations of women in STEM
CityLife and the Hadid Tower: Zaha Hadid
Milan's contemporary skyline bears the signature of the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Her twisting 177-meter skyscraper (Lo Storto/The Twisted One) and futuristic residential complexes at CityLife redefined 21st-century Milan, proving how female vision and engineering continue to shape the international face of the metropolis.
Triennale Milano and design: Gae Aulenti
One of Europe's most futuristic plazas bears the name of world-renowned architect and designer Gae Aulenti. From iconic design pieces preserved at the Triennale and local museums to major urban developments, her vision left an indelible mark on international architecture by blending historic memory, formal rigor, and innovation.
Casa Manzoni: Giulia Beccaria
Daughter of philosopher Cesare Beccaria and mother of novelist Alessandro Manzoni, Giulia was a free-spirited, fiercely independent figure. Defying the rigid constraints of 19th-century society, she played a crucial role in shaping her son's intellectual growth and literary sensitivity, embodying the cultural vitality of enlightenment-era Milan.
Teatro alla Scala: Carla Fracci
Milan shares a deep bond with the legendary étoile who brought Milanese ballet to global stages. The city dedicated a historic Line 1 vintage tram entirely painted in white to her—a nod to the classic stage costumes that made her immortal in roles like Giselle, and a touching tribute to the tram her tram-driver father used to take her on to her Scala dance lessons as a child.
The story behind the name
Until the 1950s, Zàini’s famous dark baking chocolate block was simply called "Block," a name created by founder Luigi Zàini.
After Luigi’s untimely passing in 1938, his wife Olga Torri Zàini took the helm of the company. In an era when it was extremely rare to see a woman leading an industrial enterprise, Olga rebuilt the factory after it was bombed during World War II. She ran the company surrounding herself with a largely female staff, to the extent that Zàini became known as "la fabbrica delle tosan" ("the factory of the young women," in Milanese dialect).
In 1955, as she prepared to pass the torch to her sons Vittorio and Piero, Olga decided to change the name of her iconic product forever, renaming the "Block" to Emilia.
She cared for Olga’s children with love and dedication, giving their mother the peace of mind and time required to work full-time and successfully lead the company. Legend also has it that Emilia loved baking and used that very chocolate to create desserts for the family.
The name on the wrapper was thus born as an official and affectionate "thank you" to a woman invisible to history, yet essential to the life of both the family and the business.
