Milan was settled by Celts. The Celts were later driven out by the Gauls and Lombards, but whenever a people settle in a region, aspects of them clutch and cling to the place. Milan has been touched by the Celts like no other place in Italy.
Recently, the doge of Milan received a gift from the Stewarts of Scotland, stone gargugliato, to be used in the construction of the new Cathedral planned for the heart of the capital city. The figures are grotesque and foreboding and have a number of the citizens up in arms. Some superstitious individuals believe that the statues are actually a ploy from the French to spy on the Italians. Others feels that the statues are an insult from the Scots to imply that Catholics are grotesque, horrifying monsters.
Undoubtedly, the dispute will continue long after the cathedral is completed.