Finance, banks, business in Milan.

The places of the Italian economy.
The secrets, the curiosities, the history.

During the 13th century bankers from north Italy, known as Lombards, gradually replaced the Jews in their traditional role as money-lenders. The business skills of the Italians are enhanced by their invention of double-entry book-keeping (partita doppia). Creative accountancy enables them to avoid the Christian sin of usury; interest on a loan is presented in the accounts either as a voluntary gift from the borrower or as a reward for the risk taken.
This new trade grew more and more.  Book your private guided tour now

Most European cities still have a street named Lombard Street after the pawn shop that once resided there. In Dutch, the name for a pawn shop is still “lommerd”, and the same etymology persists in the names of various banks (unless named after some family). In Ukrainian, Polish and Russian, a pawn shop is called simply lombard.
Most major port cities still have a “Lombard Street” or “Lombard Alley” today.
American examples are San Francisco, New Orleans, Boston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. The term “Lombard” for pawnshop (or pawnshop owner) was in use well into the late 18th century, thus many of these streets were named with the establishment of shipping agents in those towns.

The Stock Exchange, la Borsa, was founded in Milan in 1808 and in the middle of the XIX century the city became the financial capital of the peninsula which had become in the meantime a unified country: Italy.

One of the largest exhibition areas in Europe, Fiera Milano and Fiera Milano City, host international trade shows all year round, such as Salone del Mobile (furniture), Micam (footwear), Mido (eyewear), Homi (lifestyle and jewels), Mipel (bags and leather goods), Smau (ITC and consumer electronics), Miart (modern and contemporary art), Eicma (motorcycle), Vitrum (machinery for glass), ….
The Stella Polare Congress Centre and the MiCO, house the auditorium, convention and congress centres to be used for all sorts of events.
Besides being the capital of finance, design and fashion, Milan is the capital of publishing and discography.

Duration of the private guided walking tour: 4 hours.