How did Spanish rule affect Milan’s economy and political life?

Spanish rule in Milan, which lasted from 1535 until 1706, brought significant shifts to the city’s political and economic landscape, characterized by a transition from Renaissance prosperity to a period of stagnation and decline.12

Political Life

Politically, Milan was administered by a Spanish governor who maintained traditional institutions, such as the Senate, though the composition of this body shifted over time. By 1584, the Senate was composed entirely of professional lawyers rather than a mix of landed nobility and clerics, strengthening the influence of the urban patriciate at the expense of the old landed aristocracy. While Spanish policy sought a balance between centralization and local autonomy, the city’s strategic role as a military staging area for the Spanish Empire—particularly during the Eighty Years’ War and the Thirty Years’ War—often dictated its administrative priorities.1

Economic Impact

Economically, the era was marked by stagnation under what is often described as unimaginative foreign rule. Tax reforms were implemented to fund Spanish military efforts, which redistributed power between the city and the countryside. Notably, merchants became subject to taxation on annual gross sales after 1594, while new assessment systems benefited non-resident landowners. The city also suffered a major catastrophe in 1630 when it was struck by the plague.21