The long-term evolution of the suburbs of milan

The paper deals with the economic and demographic evolution of the suburbs of Milan in the long run (18th to 20th centuries). The starting point is the early modern period when, outside the walls of Milan, slowly has grown a reality, the so called Corpi santi, with its institutional, demographic and economic specificity. In the second half of the 19th century the Corpi santi were absorbed by the city and progressively lost their agricultural predominance, becoming a key area for the industrial espansion of Milan, especially on north western and south eastern sides. In the 20th century the growth of Milan encompassed other suburbs, that previous were still autonomous, and then, after the second world war, the suburbs were interested by an extraordinary growth thanks to the migration flows towards Milan in the decades of the Italian economic miracle. In this period the suburbs have changed once again, with the predominance of dwelling places, while industrial settlements lost rapidly their importance. At present days the situation seems rich of contradictions since in the suburbs coexist degraded settlements, like parisienne banlieu, and luxury dwelling places built on disused industrial area.