Milan fashion history gravitates and significantly developed over the years. Milan became the centre of the fashion world during the middle years, especially during the Renaissance. Milan is financial and fashion capital of Italy. It is a city with a progressive attitude that never forgets its past and glory. Designers like Prada, Armani and Versace, impressive shopping centres, long traditions and cultural institutions each year attract many visitors. Milan is one of the most intriguing and beautiful cities in the world. To experience the magic of Milan in full splendour it is inevitable to visit Gallery Vittorio Emanuele II.
The most stores that have their headquarters in the shopping center located in the heart of the city next to the Duomo Cathedral are Prada, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Borsalino, Stefanel, Tods, Swarovski and Grimoldi. Today, the Gallery Vittorio Emanuele II is home to most of the shops for high fashion, jewellery, books and some elite cafes, restaurants and art galleries.
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Built in the late 1800s, the Gallery Vittorio Emanuele II is one of the oldest shopping centers in the world. It is completely designed by the famous Italian architect Giuseppe Mengoni, who during the building of the Gallery died under unhappy circumstances and could not see his masterpiece which today fascinates with its elegance and sophistication. An interesting fact is that the Gallery Vittorio Emanuele II has a complex structure of iron and glass which was built twenty years before the Eiffel Tower in Paris and officially has been opened in 1867 by King Vittorio Emanuele II. World famous shopping center extends on four floors, under double arcade. In the central part between the two cross streets covered with glass roof on steel structure, is a wide octagonal room, covered with a stunning beautiful glass dome. During construction, the Gallery Vittorio Emanuele II was the largest of its kind.
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On the floor of the wide central area is a mosaic which represented the backs of the three main cities of the Kingdom of Italy: Turin, Florence and Rome and of course back of Milan. Legend says that if you stand on the right leg of the bull’s genitals on the back from Turin and turn in a circle three times, will bring you luck. Because of this practice, the mosaic has suffered major damage in history and on that place already exist visible hole.
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