Piazza Affari: The Rude Statue in Front of the Italian Stock Exchange
In front of the Italian stock exchange stands an eleven-metre marble hand, all fingers cut away except the middle one, raised towards the building. Maurizio Cattelan's L.O.V.E. is the most provocative public sculpture in Italy, and it has stood in Piazza Affari since 2010. From Taylor's Love Solferino B&B it is a twenty-minute walk.
Palazzo Mezzanotte, Piazza Affari, Milan. Photo: Stefano Stabile, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Getting There from Our B&B
On foot: approximately 1.6 km, about 20 minutes from Via Solferino 56, down through Brera and past Cordusio.
By metro: Cordusio (M1), then a three-minute walk.
A Roman Theatre, a Fascist Palace, a Provocation
Palazzo Mezzanotte, the stock exchange building, was completed in 1932 to a design by Paolo Mezzanotte. During excavation the remains of a Roman theatre from the first century were found beneath the site – part of them is preserved in the basement and can be visited on guided tours.
In 2010 Maurizio Cattelan installed L.O.V.E. in the square, aligned with the palace facade. The title is an acronym in Italian for liberty, hate, vengeance and eternity, though nobody pretends that is what people see.
It was meant to stay for a few weeks. Milan argued about it, then kept it. Installed two years after the 2008 financial crash, in front of the stock exchange, its meaning was not subtle – and the city eventually decided that was the point.
What to See
- L.O.V.E. by Maurizio Cattelan – Carrara marble, eleven metres including the base. Best photographed from the far corner of the square, with the exchange behind it.
- Palazzo Mezzanotte – the rationalist facade, and the digital ticker that still runs across it.
- The Roman theatre – in the basement, visitable on scheduled guided visits. Book through Borsa Italiana.
- The evening lighting – the hand is floodlit after dark and the square is almost empty, which makes for far better photographs.
Practical Information
- Cost: free. It is an open public square.
- Best time to visit: early morning or after dark. In the middle of a working day the square is full of people on their phones.
- Roman theatre: guided visits only, on selected dates – check in advance.
- Time needed: ten minutes, unless you go into the basement.
Combine It With
Piazza Mercanti and the Duomo are both five minutes away, and the Castello Sforzesco is a ten-minute walk north-west. Piazza Affari fits neatly into a walk between them.
Why Staying in Brera Makes the Difference
Taylor's Love Solferino B&B is at Via Solferino 56 in Zone 1, the historic centre, between Brera, Moscova and Corso Garibaldi. The best time to photograph this square is after dark, which only works if the walk home is short.
For travellers who prefer a short stay apartment in Milan centre to a hotel, the B&B offers free self check-in with a smart lock. Porta Garibaldi FS, 700 metres away, connects directly to Malpensa Airport with the Malpensa Express.