Surrounding

Started in 1386, the Duomo represents a great witness of the particular Lombard Gothic style. Consecrated to S. Maria Nascente, wanted by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, it stands on the site of the late Middle Ages Basilica di S. Maria Maggiore. It is a huge marble building with a rich variety... Continue Reading

With the Madonna of the Duomo cathedral and the Visconti “biscione” , the Castle is another symbol of Milan. It rises on the square with the same name. Its first core was born between 1358-1368, at the times of Galeazzo II Visconti. The front side of the Castle is dominated... Continue Reading

It is par excellence “la Galleria” (the gallery), “il salotto di Milano” (the Salon of Milan). The structure (1865-1877) was built by the architect Giuseppe Mengoni, who, when the building was finished, there died. It has the shape of a cross with the arms crossing in an octagon of iron... Continue Reading

The sober building rises on one side of Piazza della Scala, at the centre of which there is the monument to Leonardo da Vinci, by the sculptor Pietro Magni (1872). Around the base there are the statues of the four pupils of Leonardo: Cesare da Sesto, Andrea Solari, Giovanni Antonio... Continue Reading

Between Piazza Mercanti and Via Mercanti, just to the west of Piazza Duomo, a group of buildings offers a wonderful example of the architecture development in Milan from Medieval age to 1600. In Piazza Mercanti there is the Palazzo della Ragione or Broletto Nuovo, the most renowned building from the... Continue Reading

In 1138 on this site there was the Broletto Vecchio, the ancient Town Hall. The building became then residence of Torrioni family, Visconti family, and was adapted at the times of Sforza family. The Spanish governor lived there and also the archduke Ferdinando from Austria, who charged Giuseppe Piermarini, the... Continue Reading

One of the most up-market areas in the world, filled with jewellers, boutiques and design and furnishing showrooms. Fashion, especially ready-to-wear, has made the Lombardy capital its home. The heart of the Quadrilatero d’Oro (Golden Square) is via Montenapoleone which according to an American survey is one of the fifteen... Continue Reading

Two steps from Piazza della Scala, there are eight characters: they are the eight colossus, called “omenoni” sculptured by Antonio Abondio, which ornate the façade of the building by Leone Leoni, sculptor for Carlo V and Filippo II: the artist have built it as his own house in 1565, when... Continue Reading