Piazza del Duomo

123.jpg

This magnificent square is said to be the minor of Milan and the Milanese. In fact its citizens pour in and out of it at every hour of the day; whether it is ablaze with sun-light or full of snow, they pass in a hurry and seem almost unaware of its beauty, its gleaming space, its imposing, white cathedral.

This is not true however, since the speed at which a Milanese thinks is the same as his rhythm of work and when he passes by he only needs a glance at it to be comforted and excited, and have his heart fill with pride before disappearing into the darkness of the subway or being swallowed up in the traffic. The vast rectangular plaza as it appears today, was designed in 1865 by the architect Giuseppe Mengoni.

In the center stands the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II which is by Ercole Rosa (1896). This equestrian statue in bronze represents the King at the battle of San Martino, while the base shows the Entry of the Piedmontese and French troops into Milan after the Battle of Magenta (1859). The immense bulk of the cathedral forms a background to the square and is flanked on the left, by the Palazzo Settentrionale (the Northern Palace) with porticos which open into the Victor Emmanuel Arcade (Galleria Vit-torio Emanuele) and to the right, by the Palazzo Meridionale (the Southern Palace) also with porticos, after which there are two buildings with loggias; at the other end, the square is completed by the Palazzo del-l’Orologio (the Palace of the Clock). The two main subway lines, called the red and the yellow line, intersect at the station beneath this square.

Palazzo Crivelli (3).JPG
0.08 km
There are two Andalusian style balconies and a portal with granite doorposts. Its style is typical of the 17th century It has well preserved architectural frescos in perspective...
0.08 km
The palace stands in the rectangular square on the southern side of the cathedral; it is a wide building with a Neoclassical front and two lateral wings. It is of ancient origin...
Duomo Cathedral (17).jpg
0.11 km
The cathedral was started in 1386. It is a magnificent example of a very special interpretation of Gothic architecture by the Lombards. It rises like a huge mountain of marble b...
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II - lastsuppertickets (6).jpg
0.24 km
The famous Galleria connects the plaza of the Cathedral to the Piazza della Scala. Building began in 1865 under the direction of Giuseppe Mengoni who died in 1877 after falling ...
Loggia degli Osii (2).jpg
0.24 km
The Loggia of the Osii was built by Matteo Visconti in 1316. It was restored in 1904 and the deformations of the XVIIth. and XVIIIth. centuries were removed. The façade, with tw...
Piazza Mercanti (5).jpg
0.25 km
Between the Piazza Mercanti and Via Mercanti – just west of the Duomo – there is a group of buildings that splendidy illustrates the development of Milanese architec...
Santa Maria presso San Satiro (5).jpg
0.25 km
This church stands on Via Torino close to the Piazza del Duomo. The original building was erected at the time of Archishop Ansperto (10th century). Of this, only the chapel (Cap...
Palazzo Marino (1).jpg
0.34 km
This was built between 1553 and 1558 by Galeazzo Alessi for the Genoese merchant. Tommaso Marino The courtyard walls and columns are richly adorned with modeled concrete heads, ...
Leonardo Da Vinci, Piazza Della Scala, Milan, Italy.JPG
0.36 km
In the center of the plaza we find the Monument to Leonardo da Vinci by Pietro Magni (1872). Four statues of the Milanese disciples of Leonardo, Marco d’Oggriono, G. Anton...
The Ambrosian Library and its Art Gallery (2).jpg
Founded bv Cardinal Federico Borromeo in 1609 and built by Fabio Mangone and Francesco Maria Richini, the Ambrosian Library is one of the most remarkable demonstrations of the g...
Casa degli Omenoni (2).jpg
0.4 km
The “House of the Omenoni” was built by Leone Leoni and is one of the most interesting late sixteenth century buildings in Milan. It has eight caryatids called “Omen...
Teatro alia Scala (Scala Theatre) (1).jpg
The building with severe lines stands on one side of the Piazza della Scala. In the center of the square is the monument to Leonardo da Vinci by the sculptor Pietro Magni (1872)...
Church of San Sepolcro (1).jpg
0.42 km
It has been remodeled many times since its founding in 1030; the faÇade however, has been restored to its primitive Lombard style. A vast crypt, that extends the length of the c...
Palazzo Clerici (1).jpg
0.44 km
This splendid palace, built in the early decades of the 18th century contains a magnificent gallery of tapestries and a famous fresco painted by Giambattista Tiepolo about 1740,...
Palazzo Belgioioso (2).jpeg
0.45 km
Piermarini constructed this palace for the princes, Antonio and Alberico Barbiano of Belgioioso between the years 1772 and 1781. The façade has three stories of twenty-five wind...
Manzoni's house (3).jpg
0.47 km
Welcome to the world of Alessandro Manzoni, a prominent Italian author, poet, and playwright. His house in Milan, known as Casa di Manzoni, has been transformed into a museum th...
Basilica of San Carlo al Corso (3).jpg
0.52 km
The present day basilica of St. Carlo was built on the site of the old church and convent ol the Servants of Mary. When preparations for Ferdinando I of Austria’s entrance into ...
Museo Poldi Pezzoli (8).jpg
The apartment in Via Manzoni No. 12 in which the Poldi Pezzoli Museum is housed, was destined to become a museum bv a member of a noble family, Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli in 187...
The Basilica of San Nazaro Maggiore (4).jpg
0.57 km
Founded in the 4th century, it was rebuilt in Romanesque style after the fire of 1705; the Chapel of San Lino contains important 10th century frescos. ...
Palazzo Sormani (3).jpg
0.61 km
Palazzo Sormani, nestled in the heart of Milan, Italy, is a remarkable historical building with an impressive architectural design. Completed in 1779, the Palazzo was initially ...
Showing 1 - 20 of 77 results
123.jpg 5 years ago
  • You must to post comments
Showing 1 result