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Not to be missed!
Construction of the "Galleria", a typically 19th-century public building now used for events, began in 1864 following a series of competitions for the design won by Giuseppe Mengoni. It was inaugurated by the Savoy king, Vittorio Emanuele II, after whom it was named. Unfortunately, it was never completed, because the designer died ten years later, falling from the scaffolding. Large plaster eagles support its dome, 47m high and made of iron and corrugated glass. Note the telamons and caryatids on the interior façades and the Neo-Renaissance-style stuccowork and graffiti. The floor of the octagon was completely restored in 1966 in rare marble mosaic showing the emblems of Italian cities.
The art nouveau Bar Zucca (once the historic Camparino) facing the Piazza Duomo is the traditional stop for an aperitif and neighbours the elegant restaurant Savini. Known as ‘the lounge of Milan', the Galleria could be considered history's first shopping centre containing shops, bookshops and fashionable bars.
Originally, in the evening, six hundred gas lamps were lit by the ‘ratin' (Milanese for ‘mouse'): a small steam-powered device with two burning wicks that ran along two aerial tracks along the gallery.
Feature of interest: On the mosaic floor note the symbol of the city of Turin - the black bull with worn genitals. Legend has it that revolving three times on one leg placed exactly in that position brings good luck.
| Neighborhood: | Downtown |
| Address: | Piazza del Duomo |
| Milan, 20121 | |
| Nearest train: | MM1, MM3 Duomo |