The splendid glass-vaulted arches of the Galleria in Milan

Galleria, also known as ‘Galleria Vittoria Emanuele II‘, is a unique place located in Milan. It’s a glass-covered street that connects two of the city’s most famous landmarks, The Duomo and La Scala and it’s a famous area all over the globe. This amazing street is entirely covered by an arching glass and cast iron roof and it has become a landmark itself.

Located in the center of Milan, Galleria is in fact a double arcade. Two glass-vaulted arcades are intersecting in an octagon and they are supported by columns. Such a structure is not only impressive because of its architectural details but also because of practical reasons. Since it covers the entire street, it also protects everything from weather, noise and filth. The Galleria was named after Vittorio Emanuele II who was the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. Originally designed in 1861, it was then built by Giuseppe Mengoni between 1865 and 1877.

The street connects two famous landmarks and thus has two entrances, one at Piazza del Duomo and the other at Piazza della Scala. The Galleria is a commercial area and, in order to maintain a cohesive and uniform look, all the commercial activities inside must display an insignia with gold writing on a black background. The arched vault is 32 meters high and its skeleton required the use of 353 tons of iron. The octagonal roof is 47 meters high. Inside the Galleria are some of the city’s oldest shops and restaurants. It also features many luxury goods shops such as Prada, Gucci or Louis Vuitton.{picture sources:wikipedia}.