Culture
Milan's culture has evolved during the past centuries, and includes traces of Italian, French, Austrian, German and Spanish cultures, due to the presence of several civilisations in the city. Today, Milan hosts some of the finest cultural, educational and artistic institutions in the country, including the Brera art gallery and fine arts academy, the Teatro alla Scala,[70] the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, and the Bocconi university and business school, and is known for its influence abroad in fields such as economics, design and fashion. Milan has a local dialect, called Milanese, and there are several songs and literary works composed in this language, including the famous piece "O mia bela Madonina" (Italian: O mia bella Madonnina; English: Oh my beautiful Madonnina [little Madonna]), which refers to the golden statue of Mary at the highest pinnacle of the city's Duomo. Today, Milan is seen as being a modern city, with most of its buildings destroyed during the Second World War; nevertheless, it still maintains a large number of historical sights, and an ancient cultural heritage.