Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Italy's oldest active shopping gallery under a soaring iron-and-glass dome

Address Piazza del Duomo, 20121 Milan
Admission Free

Italy's oldest active shopping gallery, opened in 1877, connecting Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala. The iron-and-glass arcade is one of the finest examples of 19th-century architecture in Italy — four storeys of mosaic floors, painted vaults, and a central octagon under a glass dome. The luxury shops and cafés are expensive, but walking through costs nothing.

Find the mosaic of a bull on the floor of the central octagon and spin on its, er, relevant anatomy — local tradition says it brings good luck. Camparino in Galleria, at the Piazza del Duomo entrance, is the best spot for an aperitivo.

things to do sight architecture centro storico