Italian Notebook

I Tram di Milano - Milan's streetcars

- By Patrick Hess.

Milano - The orange streetcar rolls to a stop. As the doors swing open, you half expect a crowd of men in fedoras and overcoats with newspapers tucked under their arms to pour out onto the cobbled street.

Here in Milan that wouldn't be such a strange sight . . . these streetcars have been around for quite a while. Running continuously since 1876, they are working anachronisms that still serve as a main form of transportation for many Milanesi. From a peak of 310 total kms. of routes in 1940, down to 184 kms. in the '70s, Milan's tram route coverage has inched back up again . . more important than ever given the city's traffic issues.

Take one of the many trams to get from one part of the city to another, or take the 20 for a tour of the city . . the air of history sits quietly among curved wooden benches, beneath the leather straps hanging from gleaming handrails, and from the soft antique lights. Sometimes there is nothing more relaxing than watching the city roll by through the wide glass windows.

For more on the history and current network of Milan’s streetcars.

--contributed by Patrick Hess (see bio), writer of "Bici Vecchia: An Errant in Italy", bicivecchia.blogspot.com, a blog on Italy as he sees it.

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