Rome lives in the past, Milan lives in the present. This is my superficial impression of the two cities during a very short trip.

"To understand European history, you must come to Rome" and "not coming to Rome is like not coming to Europe"—I agree with all these views. Yet no matter how important this city was in history, as a traveler who needs to get by in reality, you still have to deal with crowded streams of people, narrow streets, chaotic traffic, and pickpockets lurking everywhere. Rome's glory forever remains in the past; what people want to know is always that Rome of the past.

Milan, in a sense, seems to be the exact opposite. It's a city utterly submerged in modern fashion and consumerism. Without shopping, the city would lose ninety percent of its charm. The arcades have been transformed into clusters of luxury boutiques, and the Milan Cathedral is adorned with enormous advertisements (though they're hanging on maintenance scaffolding). The ancient buildings have been reduced to mere dazzling shells, becoming part of consumerism.