Allegorical mosaics representing Asia (left), Africa (right) and Europe and America fill lunettes beneath the glazed dome covering the octagonal space at the centre of the elegant Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping mall in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. The neoclassical Galleria was built 1865-77 to link the piazzas in front of the Cathedral or Duomo and the ‘La Scala’ opera house. It houses some of the world’s best-known luxury fashion brands, as well as book and art dealers and some of Milan’s oldest and finest restaurants.
Milan, Lombardy, Italy: allegorical mosaics representing Asia (by Bartolomeo Giuliano, left), Africa (by Eleuterio Pagliano, right) and Europe and America fill the four lunettes beneath the glazed dome covering the octagonal central space of one of the world’s best-known and most elegant shopping malls, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The Galleria was built in neoclassical style between 1865 and 1877 to connect Piazza del Duomo, site of Milan Cathedral, and Piazza della Scala, home to ‘La Scala’, the Teatro alla Scala opera house. It is Italy’s oldest active shopping gallery or mall, created as part of the renewal of the city centre following Milan’s liberation from Austrian control in 1859 and the Unification of Italy in 1861. It is named after the first king of the new Kingdom of Italy, Victor Emmanuel II. The mall between the two piazzas runs for around 200m (656 ft). The central dome is about 37m (121 ft) in diameter and 17m (56 ft) high, while the glazed barrel vaults over each arcade are about (48 ft) wide and (28 ft) high. The arched glass and cast iron roof used 350 tonnes of metal and was one of the most innovative and challenging designs of its time. Architect Giuseppe Mengone (1829-77) did not live to see the Galleria’s success, as he accidentally fell to his death from the main cupola on the day before it opened. The Galleria today houses Italy’s best known high-end fashion brands, as well as shops selling haute couture, books and art and also some of Milan’s oldest and finest restaurants and cafés. It is nicknamed ‘il salotto di Milano’ (the drawing room or living room of Milan) due to its popularity as a meeting and dining place.
Size: 4123px × 2743px
Location: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan, Lombardy, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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