 Milano
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The renowned Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the first buildings
in Europe built in glass and iron, was inaugurated in 1867 by King
Vittorio Emanuele II himself.
It is called il salotto di Milano because it is the traditional
meeting place of the Milanese; indeed it offers a wide range of cafès,
restaurants such the historical restaurant Savini as well as fashion
boutiques and the most important bookshops in the city.
It is on the plan of a Latin cross with an octagonal center, the
famous Ottagono regarded by every single Milanese as the heart of the
city and is dominated by a central dome expanding into four branches
one of which overlooking Piazza Duomo. The main branch connects Piazza
Duomo with Piazza Scala and is the preferred promenade for La Scala
amateurs who love strolling around with their fashionable evening
dresses before enjoying a performance at La Scala Theatre.
Palazzo Reale
Palazzo Reale, a
large Neoclassical building which is a result of the radical re-elaboration
made by architect Piermarini between 1772 and 1778 of a pre-existing palace,
was the seat of Spanish governors in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries.
The
original construction was characterized by a court facing the palace which
was afterwards replaced bya large area by Piermarini, who wanted it to
become a wide square.
 The square as we can admire it today has preserved
the features according to Piermarini’s design.
The bombs of 1943 seriously damaged most of the palace, including the splendid Hall of
the Caryatids.
Nevertheless,
Palazzo Reale is the most important exhibiting space in the city hosting
internationally renowned exhibitions of works by outstanding artists such as
Monet, Kandinsky, Picasso and exhibitions on artistic movements which have
marked the history of art.
Over the most
recent years, reconstruction works have been carried out to reclaim huge and
prestigious areas in order to host more permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Text
Courtesy of
Welcome to Milano - By the Town Turist Office
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