The Galleria Vittorio Emanuel II, named for the first man who ruled the Kingdom of Italy, is a lot classier than any mall in America, that's for sure.
I entered from the Piazza della Scala, where a statue of Leonardo da Vinci, surrounded by four of his pupils, turns his back on commerce. Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped the artist in 1970, long before their track record gave them public license to do such things. Their installation barely lasted a day; angry Italians set the tarpaulin on fire.
It probably would be impossible to torch the four-story Galleria, constructed as it is of marble, stone, iron and glass.
The floor gleams as if it has just been buffed.
It's not ALL luxury brands, however; at one end, a McDonald's beckons, intrusively.
Let them eat cake instead, at Marchesi!
I wondered if these Art Nouveau door handles were original. They could have been; the Galleria opened for business towards the end of the 19th century.
A huge dome, visible from the terrace and roof of the Duomo just beyond, covers the octagonal floor plan.
Directly below, women plant one of their heels on the testicles of a mosaic bull and spin around three times for good luck. But they have to be quick to get a turn; ballbusting is popular among all nationalities.
La Feltrinelli appears to be Milan's equivalent of Barnes & Noble.
I beg your pardon, Oscar. Early birds catch the worms!
The Milanese continued to mourn Giorgio Armani, dead for just a month.
Taylor Swift name checks Portofino on "Elizabeth Taylor." It's less than a three-mile drive south of Milan.
The Galleria is even more imposing if you enter from the Piazza del Duomo. Pray before or after you shop.
More Northern Italy
Florence
Bologna
Venice
