Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Highlights: Must-See Features and Attractions

Some information may have been translated by Google Translate

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is located on the north side of the square of the Milan Cathedral, the iconic building of Milan, and connects to Piazza della Scala. There is also a huge door at the entrance on the side of the Milan Cathedral, attracting visitors who come and go to explore the interior of the promenade. Promenade Structure The Emanuele II Promenade is a covered arcade street, named after a King Emanuele II after the unification of Italy. It is considered one of the most beautiful commercial arcades in Europe. one. The arcade was built by the designer after the classical commercial arcade in Paris. The two intersecting corridors are cross-shaped, 198 meters long from north to south and 105 meters long from east to west. The two glass vaulted corridors meet in the octagonal space in the middle. Above is a glass dome. The sun shines through the glass roof and shines a sacred golden light on the delicate reliefs and frescoes below. Although at the beginning of the construction, the citizens of Milan complained slightly about this plan, because it destroyed some ancient buildings, but after it was completed, it gained a good reputation. Today, the arcade welcomes tourists from all over the world. Entering the arcade from the door on the side of the Milan Cathedral, you are greeted by a promenade covered with marble, printed with colorful mosaics that symbolize the unity and confidence of Italy. Many places in the arcade have obvious patterns representing various cities in Italy, such as the bull in Turin, the she-wolf in Rome, the lily in Florence, the red cross in Milan and so on. There is a very famous picture of a bull in the arcade. It is said that if you step on its key part with your heel and turn clockwise three times, luck will come. At present, the place has been ground into a pit. This promenade is also a must-see shopping destination for shopping lovers in Milan. There are shops such as Gucci, LV, Parada that are familiar to Chinese people, and there are many popular brands such as H&M, Zara and so on. The Prada boutique under the arcade is one of the best in Milan in terms of scale and window arrangement, especially the window arrangement. It is updated every day, and it is a great pleasure to just stand outside the window and enjoy it.

Additional Information

Getting Around

You have to take subway line M1 or M3, and alight at Duomo Station.

Helpful Information

Along Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II there are both high end fashion shops such as Gucci, LV, Prada and so on, and also the ‘mass brand shops’ like H&M, Zara and others. The operating hours starts later during the weekends.