Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

In front of you two streets cross beneath vaults of iron and glass. You are in the Octagon, the heart of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and above your head the dome rises 47 metres. The Milanese call it «il salotto», the city's drawing room.

1A project for a united Italy

After unification, Milan wanted a monumental passage between the cathedral square and Piazza della Scala. The competition was won in 1863 by the architect Giuseppe Mengoni. King Victor Emmanuel II laid the first stone on 7 March 1865, and the arcade opened on 15 September 1867. But the great arch on the cathedral square was not completed until 1878, and Mengoni never saw it: he fell from scaffolding during an inspection shortly before the opening.

2Mosaics and cafés

On the Octagon floor, the mosaics show the arms of the House of Savoy and of cities that served as capitals of the Kingdom of Italy. In the lunettes high above, the four continents are painted. Some businesses have been here since 1867, such as the Camparino, Biffi and Savini, and the Fratelli Prada shop opened in 1913.

Tradition says it brings good luck to spin three times on your right heel on the private parts of the Turin bull.

3What to look for

• The bull in the floor, with its hole worn by countless spins.
• The glass dome and its iron framework.
• The lunettes of the continents, above the arches.