Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan is a covered public arcade with a cross-shaped layout. The main passage connects Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Scala where the homonymous theatre is to be found. Work for its construction began in 1865, the year in which King Vittorio Emanuele II di Savoia posed the first stone and to whom this imposing gallery is dedicated.

The Gallery was inaugurated in 1867 even if work was still ongoing: the construction was, in fact, terminated in 1878. The Gallery was designed by an architect from the Emilia Region, Giuseppe Mengoni, and includes several different architectural styles, as was typical of the constructions realised in the Lombardy Region during the IXX century.

The fulcrum of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is the Octagon, the crossroads between the four arms of the gallery, and meeting point for many Milan residents, for this reason it is nicknamed the "Milan Lounge". On the floor of the Octagon there is a mosaic which illustrates the symbol of the Savoia family, around which there are the symbols of the cities of Turin, Rome, Florence, and Milan. In the fanlights of the vault of the Octagon the four Continents are represented: Africa, Asia, Europe, and America.

Tourists who wish to visit this architectural work of art can stay in one of the numerous hotels in Milan, some of which are very close to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The gallery also offers tourists the possibility to visit the vast selection of luxury shops hosted inside the gallery, just like in via Montenapoleone which is just a few yards away.