Piazza della Scala is a pedestrian central square of

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, connected to the main square of Milan, Piazza del Duomo, by the

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (; ) is Italy's oldest active shopping arcade and a major landmark of Milan. Housed within a four-story double arcade in the centre of town, the ''Galleria'' is named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of ...

passage. It is named after the renowned

Teatro alla Scala La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was a church). The premiere performance was Antonio Salieri's ''Europa r ...

opera house An opera house is a theater building used for performances of opera. Like many theaters, it usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, backstage facilities for costumes and building sets, as well as offices for the institut ...

, which occupies the north-western side of the square; the building actually includes both the opera house and the Museo Teatrale alla Scala (La Scala Museum), dedicated to the history of La Scala and

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

in general. On the opposite side to "La Scala", to the south-east, is the facade of

Palazzo Marino Palazzo Marino is a 16th-century palace located in Piazza della Scala, in the centre of Milan, Italy. It has been Milan's city hall since 9 September 1861. It borders on Piazza San Fedele, Piazza della Scala, Via Case Rotte and Via Tommaso Marin ...

, Milan's

city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

. Another relevant building on the square, on the north-eastern side, is the Palazzo della Banca Commerciale Italiana. The south-western side of the square has the entry to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele as well as Palazzo Beltrami. Most of the architecture of the square is due to architect Luca Beltrami, who designed the eponymous palace, the facade of Palazzo Marino, and the Banca Commerciale Italiana building. The centre of the square is marked by the monument of Leonardo da Vinci by sculptor Pietro Magni (1872).Piazza della Scala
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History

Piazza della Scala is a relatively recent addition to the plan of Milan's centre. The oldest building on the square, Palazzo Marino, dates back to the 16th century (completed in 1563); at the time, nevertheless, the square did not exist (the area was occupied by buildings). In fact, the main facade of Palazzo Marino was originally the one facing

Piazza San Fedele Piazza San Fedele (''Saint Fedele Square'' in English) is sited in Milan near Palazzo Marino (Milan's Municipal office), the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery and Piazza della Scala in a pedestrian area in the centre of the city. The square is site ...

, to the south-east (i.e., exactly opposite to Piazza della Scala). Likewise, when La Scala was built (in 1778), it was facing a street rather than a square. It was only in the late 19th century that the authorities of Milan initiated a thorough renovation of the area, which involved the creation of the square. Luca Beltrami first contributed with Palazzo Beltrami (1886), then with the new facade of Palazzo Marino (1888–1892), and, much later, with the Banca Commerciale building (1923–1927).

Footnotes

Gallery

Image:Milano - Teatro alla Scala 3924.jpg, La Scala opera house Image:Milano galleria piazza scala.jpg, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Image:Statue of Leonardo da Vinci at Piazza Scala - panoramio.jpg, Monument to Leonardo Image:Milano Banca Commerciale.JPG, Palazzo della Banca Commerciale Italiana Image:1902 - Milano - Piazza Scala, Palazzo Beltrami (1927) - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto - 25-Sept-2007.jpg, Palazzo Beltrami Image:Milano pal Marino piazza Scala.jpg, Palazzo Marino {{Authority control Scala Tourist attractions in Milan

History

See also

Footnotes

Gallery