Milan


 

A migrant tour in discovery of Milan

In its history, Milan has always been a city of immigration and an attractive centre for people and peoples from all over the world. If since the 1950s the city has been the destination of migration flows from southern Italy, today there are hundreds of different countries of origin that you can see walking through the city. It is precisely thanks to this push for demographic growth that Milan has considerably increased its extension, becoming an international metropolis. We could therefore say that Milan is such thanks to the migrants: the Italian ones of yesterday and the foreign ones of today! A growing population in a city is not only indicative of growth and development, but also of cultural wealth. Walking through some areas of Milan you are overwhelmed by the fusion of flavors, smells, sounds and faces, but all in a way familiar, because mixed with Milanese traditions. For this reason, Viaggi Solidali and the ACRA Foundation, with the collaboration of Mowgli, have decided to develop already in 2011, responsible tourism routes through three historical areas of Milanese migration: Via Padova, Via Paolo Sarpi and Porta Venezia.

Routes

Via Padova, a window on the world
The Via Padova promenade is considered by many to be the most multicultural street in Milan. Crossing via Padova means crossing the world: from Morocco to Peru, from Bangladesh to Bolivia, from Mali to China along a single street! One of the most significant stops on the tour is the Muslim House of Culture, “the mosque of Milan”, which is also the largest recognized Islamic place of worship in the capital. Through the streets and hidden and curious views of the neighborhood, you get to the Park of Trotter, a real “hidden pearl” of the city. This park was in fact a racecourse until 1924, and then became “the House of the Sun”, or a cutting-edge school for children with tuberculosis, now very active reality in the field of integration in the school and social sphere. Other stops include tasting and chatting, commercial activities, associations and restaurants from different backgrounds, from international convenience stores to piñaterie, to better understand and appreciate the infinite contamination that this way generates. For more information
Via Paolo Sarpi - T'el chi Chinatown
The tour includes a visit to Via Paolo Sarpi, now known as the Milanese Chinatown. The itinerary starts from the community gardens recently dedicated to Lea Garofalo, victim of the ‘Ndrangheta, and then goes up Via Paolo Sarpi, a long pedestrian island. Stops are planned in shops, restaurants and cultural centers in China. Through these visits you will discover the different aspects of Chinese culture, from calligraphy, medicine, crafts, passing, of course, through food. During the walk there will also be stops dedicated to the historic Milanese shops along the way. Via Sarpi has always been, since the beginning of the century, a real shopping street and still today there are 5 historic shops open on the street, with more than 50 years of activity behind it. The tour also includes a visit to the Chinese Cultural Centre, an important point of reference for the local community. For more information
Porta Venezia: from The Betrothed to the Horn of Africa
The route winds through the area of the former Lazzaretto of Milan, in the quadrilateral between Corso Buenos Aires, Via San Gregorio, Via Lazzaretto and Via Vittorio Veneto. The tour focuses on two main themes: on the one hand, the history of the city of Milan and its Lazzaretto, also mentioned in the thirty-fifth chapter of the promises of marriage, on the other hand, the ancient and modern migration in the area, with a focus on the flows from the Horn of Africa that characterize the area. There are many stops on the itinerary: the Church of San Carlo, heart of the quadrilateral, with its courtyard overlooking Viale Tunisia; some commercial activities run by migrants of Eritrean and Ethiopian origin (but not only!); the Orthodox church in Via San Gregorio (which stands in the only stretch of the Lazzaretto still existing); the Hotel Diurno in Piazza Oberdan (managed by FAI). Through this route we will discover together one of the oldest multicultural districts of Milan! For more information

Info

In Milan intercultural walks are promoted by ACRA

For more informations about Migrantour Milan itineraries
write to migrantour@acra.it or call +39 02 27000291

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