Angelo Lunati. Ideas of Ambiente: History and Bourgeois Ethics in the Construction of Modern Milan

When we hear of Milan, we think of fashion, soccer, or Leonardo da Vinci. Yet Milan is a leading global city economically as well, regarded as one of the &;Four Motors in Europe.&; How did Milan become a city of such importance both economically and artistically? Its remarkable position is the result of the constant modernization Milan undertook throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The city&;s upper classes were the main drivers of this development, which made Milan a true metropolis&;one that reflected their common interests, rooted in keen entrepreneurship, a sense of history, and their origins.In Ideas of Ambiente, Angelo Lunati investigates the relationship among the Milanese upper class, its specific urban culture, and architecture. Lunati realizes his homage to a metropolitan bourgeoisie through the comprehensive concept of &;ambiente,&; reaching beyond the mere built environment to comprise much wider cultural and social aspects as well. Ideas of Ambiente invites us to appreciate Milan&;s architectural trajectory, from its initial romanticism via bold modernism to the elegant yet politically charged aesthetic of the post-WWII period. Lunati demonstrates how the &;ambiente&; works as a binding agent to which certain neighborhoods owe their environmental unity and how it makes a consistently modern architecture just the latest expression of a historical continuity.