Pursuing comfort in late 19th century school buildings in Milan. Technical knowledge and role of the enterprises.

After 1860, in European states, laws made public education compulsory and the obligations, which had already been sanctioned for nearly a century, were made effective: until then, they had hardly been applied. Urbanization was advancing ever further and the increase in the population required the construction of large school buildings in the cities. The best-known architects of the time participated in the implementation of a new building type. Ventilation was essential for the hygiene and heating was necessary to pursue school comfort. School construction stimulated the evolution of techniques, both in studies and in production. In Italy, studies in applied engineering promoted the development of a specialized mechanical industry in Milan, which met the high needs of the city and the region, attaining a dominant position in the rest of the kingdom. The city archives keep extensive documentation on the construction of the Milanese schools, the application of new technologies and the company roles and strategies in applying them.