Expo 2015 in Milan is – for the hopeful – a sign that Italy is back on its feet

Italy’s fashion capital is just days away from the launch of its world fair, but if Expo is a symbol for the country today, it is one that is full of contradictions

The launch on Friday of Expo 2015– a world fair that is expected to draw 20 million people to Milan over the next six months – is heralded by some as a sign that Italy is finally back on its feet.

With just days to go, construction crews were still working around the clock in Italy’s fashion and business capital to get the site ready for its grand opening. But the verdict of Italy’s prime minister, Matteo Renzi – who came to power more than a year ago promising to shake the country out of its economic malaise – was, as ever, not short on confidence. “The Expo bet,” he declared, “has been won.”