# Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan > Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Milan's celebrated glass-domed arcade, linking Piazza del Duomo with Piazza della Scala. It holds the city's oldest cafés, fashion boutiques and the mosaic bull that visitors spin on for luck. Walking through is free and open around the clock; 20–30 minutes is enough. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/galleria-vittorio-emanuele - City: [Milan](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan), Italy - YesGo score: 60/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 30 min - Opening hours: Open 24 hours to walk through; shops and cafés by day and evening - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free, 24 hours - Location: Between Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Scala - Highlights: Glass dome, mosaics, the lucky bull - Shops: Usually morning to evening - Time needed: 20–30 minutes, an hour with coffee - Metro: Duomo (M1, M3), 1 minute - Coordinates: 45.46564, 9.19000 - Facts checked: 10.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1865–1877** — years of construction (source: English Wikipedia) - **Mengoni** — designed by architect Giuseppe Mengoni (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 47 m** — height of the glass dome over the octagon (source: English Wikipedia) - **4 continents** — mosaics under the dome: Europe, Asia, Africa, America (source: English Wikipedia) - **The bull** — Turin's coat of arms in the octagon floor (source: English Wikipedia) ## A short history The Galleria was built in **1865–1877** to designs by **Giuseppe Mengoni** and named after **Victor Emmanuel II**, first king of united Italy. It was a bold idea for its day: a street roofed in **glass and iron**, lined with shops, cafés and offices, linking the city's cathedral with its opera house. Milanese took to it at once, calling it **"Milan's drawing room"** (il salotto di Milano) — a place for business meetings, coffee and arguments about La Scala premieres. It's often described as one of the world's oldest active shopping arcades, older than many famous department stores in Paris and London. ## The dome and mosaics The two wings cross in an **octagon** beneath a glass **dome** about 47 m high. Four large **mosaics** under it represent Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, and the floor carries the arms of Milan, Rome, Florence and Turin. Turin's **bull** has its own fame: tradition says you put your heel on a particular spot and **spin around three times** to make sure you return to Milan. Millions of spins have worn a hollow in the floor, which has to be repaired now and then — and there's a queue even in the evening. ## Cafés and shops Fashion houses line the arcade — **Prada** opened its very first shop here in 1913 — alongside historic cafés and restaurants such as the **Camparino** bar by the cathedral entrance, linked to the Campari aperitivo, and **Savini**. Coffee costs more than in an ordinary bar; you're paying for the setting. Even without shopping, look up at the painted pediments, stucco and iron lamps, and come back at night when the dome is lit. ## What to see - **The glass dome** — at the centre of the octagon. - **Mosaics of four continents** — beneath the dome. - **The lucky bull** — Turin's arms in the floor. - **Camparino bar** — by the cathedral exit, since 1915. - **The triumphal arch** — the grand entrance from Piazza del Duomo. - **The Scala exit** — at the far end of the arcade. > **Walk on the roof** A paid rooftop walkway runs along the glass vaults, with views of the cathedral spires and the city; the entrance is on Via Pellico. It's a good alternative to the Duomo terraces when they're busy. ## How to get there 1. Metro M1 or M3 to **Duomo**; the arcade's arch is to the left of the cathedral. 2. From [Milan Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/milan-cathedral), 1 minute across the square. 3. From [La Scala](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/la-scala), enter straight from Piazza della Scala. 4. Trams 1 and 2 stop at Piazza della Scala. ## Is the Galleria worth it? Yes — it's the loveliest walk in central Milan, and you'll pass through anyway on the way from the Duomo to La Scala and on to [Brera](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/pinacoteca-di-brera). Come twice: by day for the light under the dome, at night for the illuminations. Before 9 am it's almost empty and there's no queue for the bull. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Find the bull and spin three times - [ ] Look up at the dome from the octagon - [ ] Have a coffee at a historic bar - [ ] Do the rooftop walk if you have time - [ ] Come back after dark for the lights ## Walks in Milan: compare and choose Streets, squares and neighbourhoods in Milan rated by YesGo. - [Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/galleria-vittorio-emanuele) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Bosco Verticale](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/bosco-verticale) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Piazza del Duomo](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/piazza-del-duomo) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Lake Como](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/lake-como) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 8 h · Free; transport and villas paid - [Via Monte Napoleone](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/via-monte-napoleone) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Parco Sempione](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/parco-sempione) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Navigli](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/navigli) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Pinacoteca di Brera](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/pinacoteca-di-brera) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Paid ## From the Duomo to Brera The cathedral and its square, the Galleria, La Scala and the Pinacoteca di Brera. 1. [Milan Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/milan-cathedral) — YesGo score 63/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Paid 2. [Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/galleria-vittorio-emanuele) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free 3. [La Scala](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/la-scala) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Paid 4. [Pinacoteca di Brera](https://yesgo.io/italy/milan/pinacoteca-di-brera) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Paid ## Don't mix it up The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a shopping arcade, not an art gallery — Milan's picture galleries are the Brera and the Ambrosiana. Naples has a similar arcade, the Galleria Umberto I. ## Tips - The bull is under the dome. - Nearly empty early in the morning. - Lit up beautifully at night. - The rooftop walk is paid. ## Questions ### Where is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II? In central Milan, between Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Scala. ### Is it free to visit? Yes, it's free and open 24 hours; only the rooftop walk is paid. ### What is the bull in the Galleria? A floor mosaic of Turin's coat of arms; spin on your heel there three times and you'll return to Milan. ### When was it built? In 1865–1877, designed by Giuseppe Mengoni. ### What shops are in the Galleria? Fashion boutiques including Prada's first store (1913), bookshops, historic cafés and restaurants. ## How we checked History and description from English Wikipedia. Shop hours vary, hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.