If you’re in the city, you must visit Milan Galleria and really take in the beauty of this place. Known as “Milan’s living room”, the Galleria is an iconic place for Milanese residents and tourists. A place where art, history and high-end shopping come together.
The Galleria is a shopping arcade ‒ filled with luxury fashion shops, historical bookshops and traditional coffee shops ‒ connecting Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala.
Built in the Neo-Renaissance style, the Galleria was constructed between 1865 and 1878 and was dedicated by the Milanese to Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of Italy (the complete name of this exclusive shopping centre is, in fact, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II). It’s considered one of the first shopping centres in the world and it’s certainly one of the most beautiful.
Shortly after its inauguration, the Galleria quickly became an important centre of cultural and political life in Milan and a meeting place for the Milanese bourgeoisie ‒ the wealthy middle class ‒ who frequented the famous cafés of the arcade.
The history of the Galleria is also closely linked to the activities of the nearby Teatro alla Scala: singers and musicians used to meet in the Galleria before and after their performances.
A few words on Milan Galleria’s architectural structure. The main entrance, which overlooks Piazza del Duomo, has a structure that echoes that of a triumphal arch and, at the top, bears the inscription “To Vittorio Emanuele II. The Milanese”.
The most important structure consists of two intersecting arms. The larger one, connecting Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Scala, is 196 metres long.
The point where the two arms intersect is topped by a decorated dome, known as “octagon” due to its shape. The floor of the octagon is embellished with a large central mosaic depicting the coat of arms of the House of Savoy (to which Vittorio Emanuele II belonged).
The mosaic of the octagon also includes a bull, which is linked to a tradition that continues to this day: it is said that doing a spin around yourself three times with your heel touching the bull brings good luck. In fact, whenever you walk along the Galleria, you’ll see tourists and locals doing it all the time.
But Milan Galleria is also a place that offers you a great luxury shopping experience. In fact, you will find a number of top fashion boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, and even Gucci that opened a wonderful store in Galleria in 2023. And if you love hats, you can’t miss Borsalino.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Piazza del Duomo 19, Milan
Photo credit: Francesco Ungaro
This post was all about Milan Galleria, one of the most iconic and beautiful symbols of the city.