Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Before 1865, in Milan, there were several buildings in the city center, which housed trading rows. The authorities came up with the idea of combining them into a single composition. A competition of 176 projects was won by the architect Giuseppe Mengoni, who at that time proposed a revolutionary idea - to connect four galleries in the shape of a cross with a huge dome in the middle. Its implementation took 12 years, and the creator himself did not live to see the completion of the work, dying literally a day before the opening of the passage. He died in 1877, falling from the scaffolding under the main dome - a height of 47 meters. And today, a memorial plaque in honor of the great architect hangs at the entrance from the Duomo side.

This gallery is one of the first of its kind in the world, executed in the Neo-Renaissance style. Its shape resembles a Latin cross: four sides and an octagonal center. The center features a mosaic depicting the four continents, excluding Australia. It also symbolically represents spheres of life: industry, science, art, and agriculture. At a height, a semi-transparent cross-shaped dome made of glass is constructed, from which rays emanate. The height is 47 meters, and the length is 196 meters. This gallery represents the first Italian construction that combines metal and glass.

Beneath the dome, around the center, arches are located with images of the four parts of the world: Europe, Asia, America, and Africa.

The fresco depicting America shows a head adorned with feathers, sitting between Native Americans and African American slaves. Asia is seated on its throne, receiving gifts from the locals. Europe is portrayed as a woman with a solemn gaze, surrounded by scientific instruments, which are guarded by a winged genius holding laurel wreaths in his hands. Africa is depicted as an Egyptian woman, sitting next to a lion and receiving rich gifts from the Nile.

The central entrance from Piazza Duomo is decorated with a triumphal arch featuring a bas-relief, and the exit leads towards the famous La Scala theater. The interior facades were adorned with plaster figures – images of 24 famous Italians were created. The floor is covered in enamel and was made by Venetian masters. It features the coat of arms of the House of Savoy: a white cross on a red background. Also, at each of the gallery's entrances (there are four in total), the coat of arms of four Italian cities is depicted:

• Milan – a white field with a red cross;
• Rome – the Capitoline Wolf;
• Turin – a bull;
• Florence – a red lily.

Today, the passage houses over 30 boutiques of world brands – Gucci, Dolce&Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Prada. Here, one can dine in luxurious Michelin-starred restaurants and relax in the 7-star Townhouse Seven Stars Galleria hotel, whose windows overlook the passage area. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II also hosts a small McDonald's and the "Zucco" café, whose owner invented the bitter liqueur Campari. The gallery is open 24/7, while the shops operate from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.