Italy
Milan
Milan was one of the most important cities in Italy and had long been so, all the way back to Roman days, when it was known as Mediolanum. It sits toward the upper end of the Po, about where that river becomes a genuinely navigable waterway and about where the Po River valley becomes very fertile. It also sits near the outlet of the Simplon Pass, the lowest of the Alpine passes. It was therefore a city particularly well sited for both agriculture and commerce.
During the earlier Middle Ages Milan had been a capital city for the Lombards. After they were conquered by Charlemagne, it shared leading status with Pavia, just to the south, and these two cities had a long-running battle for supremacy for some centuries. This had not quite yet been settled by the time our course begins.
1311 Henry VII made Matteo Visconti his imperial vicar. This sealed Visconti control of the city. From this time on, the Visconti engaged in a more or less continual campaign to expand their influence around northern Italy. Milan remained steadfastly imperial in orientation and for the span of Visconti rule (until 1450) was an enemy of Florence.
Despite many wars, and many failed campaigns, Milan continued to grow in population and in wealth. It recovered quickly after the Black Death and never lost its position as one of the richest cities in Italy (and therefore in Europe). Whereas today Milan is mainly a center of commerce, during the late Middle Ages, it was also a center of manufacturing, being a leader in metal work and cloth (especially silk).
By 1354, when Giovanni Visconti died, Milan controlled Cremona, Crema, Brescia, Como, Bergamo, Novara, Asti, Alessandria, Tortona, Vercelli, Parma, Bologna, Piacenza, Bobbio. The extent of Visconti rule over these towns varied, and was often challenged.
1395 King Wenceslas made Gian Galeazzo Visconti into the Duke of Milan. By 1402 Milan ruled also Siena, Vicenza, Verona, and Pisa, and was on the verge of conquering Florence.