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Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

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The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a double arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....

 in the center of Milan

, Italy


The Galleria is named after Vittorio Emanuele II
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
Victor Emanuel II was king of Sardinia from 1849 and, on 17 March 1861, he assumed the title King of Italy to become the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878...

, the first king of united Italy

. It was originally designed in 1861 and built by Giuseppe Mengoni
Giuseppe Mengoni
Giuseppe Mengoni was an Italian architect. He designed the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. He died by accident, falling off the roof of the gallery he had built....

 between 1865 and 1877.

The street is covered by an arching glass and cast iron
Cast iron

Burlington Arcade
The Burlington Arcade is a covered shopping arcade in London that runs behind Bond Street from Piccadilly through to Burlington Gardens. It is one of the precursors of the mid-19th century European shopping gallery and the modern shopping centre...

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert or Koninklijke Sint-Hubertusgalerijen is a glazed shopping arcade in Brussels that preceded other famous 19th-century shopping arcades such as the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan and The Passage in St Petersburg...


 (opened in 1890) and the Budapest


The central octagonal space is topped with a glass dome

Shopping mall

Galleria , or The Galleria, is a common name for a shopping mall, ultimately deriving from the 19th-century Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan.- Australia :*Centro Galleria - Morley, Western Australia...

for many other shopping arcades and malls. Below the dome is the centre mosaic shield[Cite] of the mall, and to the west of the design is a tradition that suggests that you have a spin with your right heel on the mosaic bulls “attributes”, one of the 102 glass designs that make up the pavement of the Galleria’s splendid central octagon. Once a gesture to ward off evil, it has become part of the Milanese tradition and has such a following that a deep hole has formed in the pavement.

La Scala

, but the Galleria is a landmark on its own right.

Shops, restaurants and hotels

The Galleria is often nicknamed il salotto di Milano (Milan's drawing room), due to its numerous shops and importance as a common Milanese meeting and dining place.

Haute couture

 and jewelry to books and paintings, as well as restaurants, café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...


Today, the Galleria is the site for many luxury goods' shops, including Prada
Prada S.p.A. is an Italian fashion label specializing in luxury goods for men and women , founded by Mario Prada.-Foundations:...

, Massimo Dutti
Massimo Dutti
Massimo Dutti is a company belonging to the Spanish Inditex group dedicated to the manufacturing of clothing. It was created in 1985 and its product range was limited to men's clothing....

, Gucci

 and Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton

, as well as fast food
Fast food

 outlets such as McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...


External links