Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
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Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II - by Federico Di Dio photography on Unsplash
Description
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Milan's most famous and one of Italy's oldest shopping galleries. It was designed in 1861 by architect Giuseppe Mengoni and named after the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. The structure consists of two glass-vaulted arcades intersecting in an octagon covered by a glass dome and enclosing the street connecting Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala with a cast iron roof. Trivia: all stores in the gallery are obliged to adopt retro gold lettering on a black background for their business signs, in line with the original design.
Access & Transport
The gallery can be accessed from either Piazza della Scala or Piazza del Duomo. The Duomo metro station (1, 3) and tram station (2, 12, 14, 16, 19) stop on Piazza del Duomo.
Instructions & Recommendations
Shops typically open around 10h-11h and close around 19h (later for restaurants)
Environmental & Social
Clearly over-touristic and commercialized but there is a clear artistic and architectural value that deserves to be preserved. No environmental data available.
Conclusion
One of Milan's architectural landmarks that deserves a visit even for those with no interest in the shopping inside (in which case, go early to avoid crowds before the stores open).
Key positive
Elegant design and photogenic
Great high-end shopping
Hyper-central locating
Key negative
Can be busy
Expensive shops
Suitability
No restrictions
About this Rating
TYPE
Desktop
RESEARCHED IN
June 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:0h 15m
est. visit time:0h 30m
Sunrise / early morningNo
MorningOk
Lunch timeOk
AfternoonOk
Sunset / eveningOk
Night – bef. midnightOk
Night – aft. midnightNo