- Year the first stone was laid, per Italian Wikipedia
- 1865
- Length of the main arm, per Italian Wikipedia
- 196.6 m
- Width of the arms
- 14.5 m
What the Galleria is
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a covered shopping arcade that links Piazza del Duomo with Piazza della Scala. Two glass-vaulted arcades cross in an octagon, and the whole building rises over four storeys. It is named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the unified Italy.
Italian Wikipedia describes it as a covered pedestrian street owned by the city of Milan, with shops, restaurants and offices. Milanese call it il salotto di Milano, Milan’s drawing room.
Who built it and when
The architect was Giuseppe Mengoni, who won the third and last design competition, held in 1863. According to Italian Wikipedia, King Victor Emmanuel II laid the first stone on 7 March 1865, and the Galleria was inaugurated on 15 September 1867. Building carried on after that. The same article gives 24 February 1878 for the inauguration of the arch on Piazza del Duomo, and says the works ended that year.
English Wikipedia is less precise and says the Galleria was built between 1865 and 1877. The sources differ on the finish, so treat the dates after 1867 as approximate.
The main arm is 196.6 metres long and the shorter arm 105.1 metres, according to Italian Wikipedia. The arms are 14.5 metres wide.
The building has needed repair. English Wikipedia says Second World War bombing heavily damaged the roof, and Italian Wikipedia records a restoration finished in 1955, another in 1967 for the centenary that focused on the floor, and the most extensive since the war from March 2014 to April 2015, ahead of Expo 2015. English Wikipedia adds that the facades, statues and mosaics were cleaned and repaired before that exhibition.
The floor mosaics and the bull
The octagon is the point where the two arcades cross, and it is the best place to stop and look at the floor as well as the glass above. English Wikipedia says four floor mosaics show the coats of arms of Turin, Florence, Rome and Milan. The Italian article also describes the Savoy arms, with the motto FERT, in the central mosaic.
The Turin mosaic shows a rampant bull, the city’s emblem, and this is the one visitors spin on. The custom is to turn three times with a heel on the bull, which is said to bring good luck. Italian Wikipedia gives the full version, counterclockwise on the right heel, and says the gesture reportedly began as mockery of the Savoy dynasty and of Turin.
The tradition has taken its toll. English Wikipedia says the spinning has worn a hole in the mosaic. Italian Wikipedia says the bull was remade in the 1967 restoration, but the custom carried on and the image wears down quickly. Treat the spin as a bit of fun, not a ceremony.
Shops, cafés and how to use it
Inside, English Wikipedia lists luxury retailers, restaurants, cafés, bars and a hotel. We do not recommend individual businesses, and shops and cafés set their own opening hours, so we give none here.
You need no ticket to walk through, so the Galleria costs nothing unless you stop to buy something. You can walk its length with your head tipped back to look at the glass roof, then carry on to the next square.
Where it fits in a Milan day
From the castle, the Duomo is two stops on Line 1: Cairoli, Cordusio, Duomo. Wikipedia places Cairoli station near the castle. Come out at the cathedral and the Galleria opens on to the same square, with the Duomo di Milano beside it.
Walk to the far end and you reach Piazza della Scala. English Wikipedia says the Galleria links the Duomo with the Teatro alla Scala.
For the rest of the area, see our things to see nearby page. The getting there guide covers how to reach the castle, and visiting Sforza Castle has the castle’s hours.
