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Piazza del Duomo is the heart of Milan’s city center. It contains some of the city’s most important buildings as well as museums.
History
The piazza dates back to 1330, when several taverns that surrounded Milan’s principal churches were demolished to create Piazza dell’Arengario. It started to take its current shape first in 1386 with the groundbreaking for the Duomo, and again in the late 18th century with the construction of the Royal Palace (see below).
Monument
In the center of Piazza del Duomo is a monument to Vittorio Emanuele II. He was the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century and held the title from 1861 to his death in 1878. The monument was inaugurated in 1896.
Duomo
The most iconic building in Milan and one of the most important in Italy is the Duomo, which took nearly 600 years to complete. It’s covered in a series of separate posts.
Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery
To the left of the Duomo is the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery (Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II), built between 1865 and 1877. It’s Italy’s oldest active shopping mall and was designed by architect Giuseppe Mengoni.
The entrance on Piazza del Duomo is through a large arch. Another arch was supposed to be built on the opposite side of the piazza.
The gallery is made up of two intersecting glass arcades intersecting in the center with a glass octagonal dome. On the floor under the dome are four mosaics representing the coat of arms and three capitals of Italy (Turin, Florence, and Rome).
Inside are several luxury retailers, upscale cafés and restaurants, and a hotel. It’s also a popular meeting place for locals.
Just outside the eastern entrance is the Ferrari Store, which is fun to walk through. Leonardo3, a museum dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci, is located at the north entrance on Piazza della Scala. Adult admission is €14 (as of June 2023) and it’s open daily.
Along the side facing Piazza del Duomo, the street connects to the pedestrianized Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. It’s a shopping street that leads to Piazza San Babila and the exclusive shopping district of Quadrilatero d’Oro.
Palazzo dell’Arengario
Directly opposite the galleria is the 900 Museum (Museo del Novecento), which is dedicated to 20th century art. The building, however, has a darker past. It was built between 1936 and 1956 under fascist dictator Benito Mussolini as the Palazzo dell’Arengario. The main function was as a local government building from which Mussolini could address the people. The 900 Museum is open daily except Mondays and charges €10 for admission (as of June 2023).
Royal Palace
South of the Duomo is the Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale), which was the seat of Milan’s government for several years. It was originally built between 1573 and 1598. The building is now a cultural center with exhibitions and also hosts the Duomo Museum (Museo del Duomo), which chronicles the history of the Duomo. The Royal Palace is open daily except Mondays with an adult admission of €15 per person (as of June 2023). The Duomo Museum is included with a ticket to the Duomo. Unfortunately we didn’t visit.
