Milan returns to winter time this weekend. When the clocks go back an hour on Sunday morning, the time difference with Japan becomes eight hours. Once the street lamps come on after five in the evening and the tram windows glow in the dark, autumn in Milan is well into its second half.
Next Sunday is All Saints' Day, and the Monday after is the Day of the Dead. Pots of chrysanthemums line the florists' pavements, and the pastry shops bring out pan dei morti, the "bread of the dead". The name sounds grim, but it is a simple baked sweet of dried figs and cocoa, eaten while remembering family members who have passed away.
For these few days, which are not unlike Obon in Japan, Milan grows a little quieter.
| 1/21–24 | HOMI | |
| 2/2–4 | Milano Unica | JETRO pavilion: applications closed |
| 2/21–23 | MICAM／MIPEL | |
| 2/23–25 | Lineapelle | |
| 4/13–18 | Salone del MobileNew: Salone Contract |
15OTTThe government submits its core 2027 budget document to the European Commission, worth about €23.5 billion.ANSA
15OTTThe European Central Bank approves UniCredit (headquartered in Milan) taking control of Germany's Commerzbank.Il Post
16OTTBanca d'Italia puts this year's growth forecast at +1%. If oil prices surge again, the economy could contract from 2027 onwards.ANSA
16OTTA fault on air traffic control data lines delays departures from Malpensa by up to two hours or more.Il Giorno
17OTTThe City of Milan approves a full replacement of escalators at 13 stations on metro lines M1–M3, with a budget of €13.3 million.ANSA
17OTTThe exhibition "Youth and Future" opens in the Sala delle Cariatidi at Palazzo Reale (until 1 November).AgenziaCult
17OTTSerie A: Inter beat Bologna 3-1 to go joint top with Lazio. The next day, the 18th, Milan beat Atalanta 3-2 to move up to fourth.Il Fatto Quotidiano
19OTTSubscriptions open for the retail government bond "BTP Valore", with about €8.6 billion in orders in the first two days.Milano Finanza
19OTTThe OECD publishes its Economic Survey of Italy, estimating that reforms, if carried through, would lift GDP by 3.9% over ten years.ANSA
20OTTLombardy issues a yellow alert for river basins around Milan due to heavy rain.MilanoToday
21OTTISTAT reports 355,772 births in 2025, the lowest on record.Sky TG24
21OTTMoncler posts January–September revenue of about €1.89 billion. Sales were flat in July–September as spending by tourists in Europe slowed.Teleborsa
21OTT"CES Unveiled", the curtain-raiser for the US consumer electronics show CES, is held in Italy for the first time, at Allianz MiCo in Milan.Confindustria AM
21OTTInter and Milan decide to unveil renderings of the new San Siro at the Castello Sforzesco on the 29th.Calcio e Finanza
21OTTThe City of Milan presents its draft revision of the town plan (PGT), banning new building in courtyards in the historic districts. It goes to the city council in mid-November.idealista
21OTTChampions League: Como thrash Manchester United 4-1. Inter beat Shakhtar 1-0.Sky TG24
We have set out only the facts relevant to business trips and stays, without judging who is right. Figures differ between reports, so sources are given.
On Saturday 17th, part of a rally (around 5,000 people) against high prices and low wages clashed with police, who used water cannon and tear gas. On Sunday 18th young people again gathered around the Duomo, and shops were vandalised in via Torino, via Dante and elsewhere. Figures vary between reports; according to Reuters (19th), 271 people were detained and 32 arrested. Trade associations put the damage at around 1 million euro.Il Post／ANSA／Reuters 10/17〜19
On Monday 19th, shops in the centre boarded up their windows and closed early, and some on via Montenapoleone did not open at all. If you have appointments in the centre at the weekend, it is worth checking with your host the day before that they will be open.Reuters 10/19
At the cabinet meeting on the 20th, the government created a new offence of collective violence at demonstrations (2–5 years' imprisonment) and approved administrative penalties for the parents of minors. According to ANSA, an additional 500 soldiers will be deployed in Milan until 31 December. The Prime Minister called on the opposition to condemn the violence as well, while Mayor Sala said: "I understand the reasons for the protest, but violence cannot be justified."Il Post／ANSA 10/20
In Bologna, rubbish bins were set alight near the station; in Torino, a bookshop at Porta Nuova station was vandalised and 12 people (10 of them minors) were detained.Il Post 10/18
Hauliers protesting over fuel costs and other issues are continuing their blockades in Campania, Calabria and Puglia, and are expected to keep them up until the next round of talks on the 27th. No impact on the North has been reported, but food and goods from the South may be delayed.ANSA 10/20
Rail: 21:00 on the 29th to 20:59 on the 30th; air and taxis: all day. Times for the Milan metro (ATM) and Trenord have not yet been announced. A 24-hour ATM strike is also planned for Friday 13 November.Ministry of Transport strike list Retrieved 22 October
Small happenings that got Milan talking this week. We have picked things you can drop in on between meetings, or that make good conversation starters.
Until 17 December, open until 23:20 every Thursday (last entry 22:00). Admission after 18:00 costs 3 euro, so it is still within reach after a business meeting.MilanoToday 10/20
The Galleria tree is set to be an 'interactive' one with music. The lighting date has not yet been announced.MilanoToday 15–16 October
Twice a year comes the period when the sun sets in line with the Naviglio Grande canal. Best photographed from the Ponte dello Scodellino.MilanoToday 10/16
On 24 and 25 October, a Japan-themed event at Cascina Cuccagna: a Japanese market, a gyotaku (fish print) exhibition, taiko drumming workshops and more.Il Giorno 10/22
At the old Verziere produce market (Largo Augusto), the city's 12th farmers' market. Every Thursday, 6:30–14:00.MilanoToday 10/15
Ripa di Porta Ticinese 103. From bread and coffee to Georgian-style small plates and natural wine – it works from breakfast to aperitivo.MilanoToday 10/16
On 30 October, Navigli pizzeria Otto (Corso San Gottardo 28) holds its 4th giveaway. The first edition used 10 trays; this year it will be 70.MilanoToday 10/20
Heating has been allowed since 15 October. With the mild weather continuing, until 30 October it is limited to a maximum of 8 hours between 5:00 and 23:00. Factories and offices may still feel chilly.MilanoToday 10/15
All Saints' Day (Ognissanti) on 1 November is a Catholic feast honouring all the saints, and also a national holiday. The following day, 2 November, is All Souls' Day, when families remember their dead. In Milan, too, many people take flowers to cemeteries such as the Cimitero Monumentale, with its rows of sculptures. The cemetery itself opened on 2 November 1866 – All Souls' Day.
At this time of year, Lombardia's pastry shops fill with 'pan dei morti' (bread of the dead): flat, rustic biscuits made from crushed biscuits, dried figs, pine nuts and cocoa, kneaded and baked. The name may startle, but it is a seasonal treat eaten on All Souls' Day while remembering loved ones.
Marble is a natural stone made mainly of calcium carbonate. It is relatively soft and scratches easily, and acids such as lemon, wine and vinegar dull its surface – a process known as etching. It needs periodic resealing, but it is a material whose character develops, marks and all. Large-format porcelain slabs are fired at high temperatures into dense panels with very low water absorption; they resist scratches, acids and stains, need only wiping, and barely change with age. On the other hand, edges and corners chip easily, and where the pattern is only on the surface, the exposed edge needs careful design.
It comes down to one question: what marks would you like that worktop to bear ten years from now?
Even Italian leather often starts from rawhide (the skin before tanning) sourced abroad. What makes leather 'Italian' is not the rawhide but where, and with what expertise, the tanning, dyeing and finishing were done.
When choosing leather, asking separately 'Where is the rawhide from?' and 'Where was it tanned?' gets you to the point faster.