Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide Piazza del Duomo is the main square of Milan, and the true commercial center of the city for the last seven centuries. The square is the meeting point of the Milanese to celebrate important events and, together with the adjacent Cathedral of Milan, a desired destination for tourists from all over the world. SHORT HISTORY The birth of the square can be traced back to Azzone Visconti, Lord of Milan from 1329, who, in order to create a useful space for mercantile activities, created the Arengo Square between the Churches of Santa Maria Maggiore and Santa Tecla. Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the first Duke of Milan, further enlarged the square, ordering the demolition of the bishop’s house in 1385, and the Baptistery of San Giovanni alle Fonti in 1387. In 1458, with the blessing of Pope Pius II, Francesco Sforza, the fourth Duke of Milan, obtained permission to demolish the Basilica of Santa Tecla to create a large square worthy of the Duomo, which, at that time, was under construction. In 1548, the architect Vincenzo Seregni created a new project for the Piazza del Duomo, but due to lack of funds, the only work that was Read more [...]
All Squares in Milan
Piazza del Duomo is Milan’s monumental central square and the focal point of the historic centre. It is dominated by the Duomo, while the entrances to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and several important civic and commercial buildings frame the surrounding space. The square is also a major meeting point and venue for public events.
Nearby Piazza della Scala is one of the city’s most elegant urban spaces, named after the famous Teatro alla Scala. The square is bordered by the theatre, Palazzo Marino, and the Gallerie d’Italia complex. At its centre stands a nineteenth-century monument dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci, surrounded by figures representing four of his pupils.