The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, also known as Milan’s “drawing room”, is a covered pedestrian passageway connecting the centrally located Piazza Duomo to Piazza della Scala. The Galleria was designed in the mid-19th century by Giuseppe Mengoni with the aim of bringing Milan’s centre up to the standard of other great European cities that boasted passages—covered commercial corridors featuring iron and glass structures. Thanks to Giuseppe Mengoni’s creativity, the Galleria is considered one of the most celebrated examples of iron architecture not only in Italy but across Europe, and today it’s an essential stop for all visitors arriving in the Milanese capital.
From its inauguration, the Galleria became home to historic cafés and prestigious boutiques that attracted Milan’s bourgeoisie. Over time it also became the hub of the city’s political life and the venue for the earliest political demonstrations. The Galleria remains a place where you’ll find shops from major brands, bars and restaurants, and is a popular meeting point for many Milanese.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is laid out in the shape of a cross with two intersecting arms. The longer arm stretches 196 metres, connecting Piazza della Scala to Piazza Duomo, whilst the shorter arm extends 105 metres, linking Via Foscolo to Via Pellico. At the intersection of the two arms stands a striking glass dome, known as “the octagon”. On the four walls beneath the dome are four lunettes painted with allegorical representations of the four continents: Asia, America, Africa and Europe.
The bull of the Galleria
In the floor beneath the dome sits a mosaic depicting the Savoy family coat of arms and a bull. According to tradition, it brings good fortune to spin three times on yourself with the heel of your right foot positioned over the bull’s genitals.
Today the Galleria is home to restaurants and shops that, under local council regulations, must display their signs in gold lettering on a black background. Alongside historic cafés, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II houses fine dining restaurants, boutiques from major fashion houses such as Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton, and the Bocca art bookshop, considered one of the city’s historic libraries.
Interestingly, few people realise you can take a walk across the roofs of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Called Highline Galleria, it’s a route made up of numerous walkways that was built for Expo 2015 but remains open today. This is undoubtedly a truly original way to admire the Galleria and the city of Milan from above.
In the mid-19th century, the Municipality of Milan held a competition for the design of a covered passageway to connect the Cathedral area with the La Scala Theatre district. Giuseppe Mengoni was declared the winner, on the condition that his design could be partially revised. Mengoni had originally proposed a single covered gallery, but his idea was subsequently modified and a cross-shaped structure was built instead.
On 7 March 1865, the cornerstone-laying ceremony took place with the attendance of King Vittorio Emanuele II, Italian Prime Minister Alfonso La Marmora and numerous other dignitaries. The Galleria was built at remarkable speed and was inaugurated in less than three years, in the presence of the sovereign. Sadly, Giuseppe Mengoni was not present at the Galleria’s official inauguration, as he fell from scaffolding during an inspection, though some accounts suggest he took his own life.
Very soon after opening, the Galleria had become the heart of bourgeois life for Milan’s inhabitants, who gathered in the cafés located here and shopped in the elegant boutiques. This gave rise to its nickname, the “drawing room of Milan”. Among the historic establishments in the Galleria that remain today, as they did in the 19th century, are Caffè Campari, Caffè Savini (formerly Caffè Gnocchi) and Caffè Biffi. Over the years, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II inspired the creation of other covered passages, such as the Galleria Umberto I in Naples.
Sadly, during the Second World War the Galleria was heavily damaged by aerial bombardment and much of its decoration was lost. The complex underwent restoration between 2014 and 2015 to restore much of the Galleria’s original splendour.
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