Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II: Milan's Drawing Room, 20 Minutes on Foot from Our B&B
Milanese call it il salotto di Milano – the city's drawing room. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is not simply a shopping arcade: it is a monument, a meeting place and the elegant hinge between Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Scala. For guests at Taylor's Love Solferino B&B it sits at the end of a pleasant walk straight through the historic centre.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan. Photo: Jean-Luc Louicellier, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Getting There from Our B&B
On foot: approximately 1.5 km, about 19 minutes from Via Solferino 56. Walk down Via Solferino into Via Brera, past the Pinacoteca, continue along Via Verdi past La Scala, and the northern entrance of the Galleria opens in front of you.
By metro: from Moscova (M2 green line), 300 metres from the B&B, take the M2 to Cadorna and change to the M1 red line for Duomo – roughly 15 minutes in total. On a fine day the walk is far more enjoyable.
A Cathedral of Iron and Glass
Designed by Giuseppe Mengoni and built between 1865 and 1877, the Galleria was among the first buildings in Europe to use iron and glass on this scale. Two arcades cross in an octagon beneath a great glass dome, 47 metres above the floor.
It was named after Vittorio Emanuele II, first king of a united Italy, and was conceived as a statement: Milan announcing itself as a modern European capital. Mengoni himself never saw it finished – he fell from the scaffolding a few days before the inauguration.
What to Look For
- The mosaic floor of the octagon – coats of arms of the four cities of the Kingdom of Italy: the white cross of Milan, the red cross of Florence, the she-wolf of Rome and the bull of Turin.
- The bull of Turin – tradition says that spinning three times on your heel on the bull brings good luck. Generations of heels have worn a hollow into the mosaic.
- The frescoed lunettes – allegories of Europe, Asia, Africa and America beneath the dome.
- Camparino in Galleria – open since 1915, the birthplace of the Milanese aperitivo.
- The historic shopfronts – Prada's original 1913 store, alongside Louis Vuitton, Versace and Borsalino.
- The rooftop walkway – Highline Galleria lets you walk along the roof for a view over the Duomo.
Practical Information
- Opening hours: the arcade is a public street and is open at all hours. Shops generally 10:00 to 20:00.
- Admission: free.
- Highline Galleria rooftop walk: around 12 to 15 euro, booking recommended.
- Best time to visit: early morning, before 09:00, when the light comes through the dome and the arcade is almost empty. It is extremely busy from late morning onwards.
- Note: the caf̩s under the glass are famously expensive Рyou are paying for the view, and it is worth it once.
What Is Next Door
The Galleria connects the Duomo at one end with Teatro alla Scala at the other, and the Quadrilatero della Moda is a few minutes east. You can see all four in a single morning and walk back to Brera for lunch.
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. Everything in this article is reachable on foot: no taxis, no timetables, no suburban commute at the end of the evening.
For travellers looking for a short stay apartment in Milan centre rather than an anonymous hotel room, the B&B offers free self check-in with a smart lock, so you can arrive at any hour. Porta Garibaldi FS station, 700 metres away, connects directly to Malpensa Airport with the Malpensa Express.