GALLERIA VITTORIO EMANUELE II

Description

Essentials about the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in brief

Milan is one of the best shopping metropolises in Europe. And the shopping highlight of the city is undoubtedly a stroll through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The arcade is not only a great place to spend your travel budget in countless posh stores, but it is also a real sight in itself. This is not only due to its prominent location between the Piazza del Duomo with Milan Cathedral and Piazza della Scala with the world famous Teatro alla Scala, but also due to its beautiful facade and lavish interior decoration. Moreover, the arcade, opened in 1867, is the oldest shopping center in Italy.

The history and architecture of the Galleria

Designed by architect Giuseppe Mengoni in 1861 and built from 1865 to 1867, the passage consists of two intersecting arms spanned by a barrel-shaped steel and glass roof. The two portals on the long sides are designed as in the manner of a triumphal arch. At the intersection of the galleries is an octagonal square 39 meters in diameter. The glass dome above this octagon reaches a height of 47 meters.

The lavish decoration of the passage, with stucco, frescoes and marble, is intended to make the building the bearer of a national Italian consciousness, which had achieved its goal shortly before with the proclamation of the Italian state in 1859. Incidentally, the passage is named after King Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the united Italy.

The coat of arms in the floor of the Galleria

In four large mosaics in the floor of the central octagon are reproduced the coats of arms of the four Italian cities of Rome (the wolf), Florence (the swan), Turin (the bull) and Milan (the red cross). If you take a closer look at the coats of arms, you will notice that in the Turin coat of arms, instead of the testicles of the bull, there is usually only a hole (and this despite regular restoration work). This has nothing to do with political correctness, but is due to the superstition that it brings fertility to the lords of creation if they turn once around their own axis on the heel of their shoe. Apparently, quite a few Milanese and tourists are superstitious.

Shops and gastronomy in the Galleria

However, most Milanese and tourists do not come to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II to increase their fertility, but to shop, eat and drink. As befits such a posh gallery, one finds here mainly the who’s who of international luxury brands such as Armani, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Versace. In addition, you can also eat extremely well or have a drink in the cafés, bars and restaurants of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.

The view from the roof terraces of the Galleria

By the way, if you want a great view of Milan Cathedral, Piazza del Duomo and the surrounding buildings, you can visit the roof terraces of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. They are open all day and are a good change from shopping in the gallery.