All Streets

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    Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

    Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a covered pedestrian street located near the Milan Cathedral, which connects Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala, in Milan. The gallery is one of the oldest shopping malls in Italy and one of the most famous landmarks of Milan. Since its inauguration in the 19th century, due to the presence of elegant shops and cafés, the gallery became the meeting place of the Milanese bourgeoisie, being known as the living room of Milan.   SHORT HISTORY The idea of a street that connected Piazza del Duomo with Piazza della Scala was first promoted in 1839 by the writer Carlo Cattaneo, as a solution for the area in front of the Milan Cathedral. In 1863, the Municipality of Milan announced a competition for the new street project. The winner was the project of the architect Giuseppe Mengoni, for a cross-shaped gallery and a porticoed building in Piazza del Duomo. The ceremony for the laying of the first stone by King Vittorio Emanuele II took place on March 7, 1865. The works, excluding the triumphal entry arch, were completed in less than three years. The gallery was finished only ten years later, in 1878, when the Read more [...]

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    Via Giuseppe Garibaldi

    Via Giuseppe Garibaldi is a street in Venice, located in the eastern part of the city, in the Castello district (sestiere).   SHORT HISTORY OF VIA GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI Via Giuseppe Garibaldi was built in 1807, to connect the Canal of Saint Peter (Canale di San Pietro) with the Basin of Saint Mark (Bacino San Marco) in a straight line. The architect Giannantonio Selva, who was part of the Commission for the urban planning and architectural management of Venice, was entrusted with the work. To obtain the necessary space, various churches, convents and the Hospital of the Sailors (Spedale dei Marinai), located in the Church of San Nicolò di Castello, were demolished. Originally, the street was called Strada Nuova dei Giardini (New Street of the Gardens) because it led to the Public Gardens. Later, it was called Via Eugenia, in honor of Eugene of Beauharnais, the viceroy of Italy, stepson of Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1866, after the entry of Giuseppe Garibaldi’s troops into Venice, the street was dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi, to whom a monument was later erected at the entrance to the Gardens. Between 1993 and 1996, repaving and rehabilitation works were carried out with the aim of redeveloping the Read more [...]

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    Via dei Fori Imperiali

    Via dei Fori Imperiali is one of the most scenic streets in Rome, which connects Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum. Walking along it, you can admire on both sides of the street the Forums of Caesar, Trajan, Augustus and Nerva.   SHORT HISTORY After Rome became the capital of Italy in 1870, large connecting roads began to open, such as Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and Via Nazionale. In the regulatory plans of the city from 1873, 1883 and 1909, a street between Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum was planned. The idea of the road reappeared in the Fascist period. At first, during its construction, the street was named Via dei Monti, then, when it was inaugurated, was called Via dell’Impero. The architect Antonio Muñoz was responsible for the general project, while Raffaele De Vico was in charge with the arrangement of the green areas, and Corrado Ricci with the excavation and arrangement of the archaeological areas. Via dei Fori Imperiali was built between 1924 and 1932, and was inaugurated by Benito Mussolini on October 28, 1932, as part of the celebrations for the tenth anniversary of the March on Rome. In 1945, after the end of the Second World War, Read more [...]

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    Via della Conciliazione

    Via della Conciliazione is a street in Rome, which connects Piazza Pia to Piazza Papa Pio XII, in front of Piazza San Pietro.   SHORT HISTORY Following the official reconciliation between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See on February 11, 1929, the fascist government decided to built a wide road to link the capital of Italy to the Vatican State. Via della Conciliazione was designed by the architects Marcello Piacentini and Attilio Spaccarelli, and built starting in 1936 with the demolition of the so-called Spina di Borgo – the backbone of the historical Borgo district. The street was completed on the occasion of the 1950 Jubilee, with the installation of two rows of obelisk-shaped lamp holders. The intervention caused the loss of a large part of the urban fabric of the Borgo district, with the demolition of important buildings like Palazzo dei Convertendi, Palazzo Jacopo da Brescia, Palazzo del Governatore, Palazzo Alicorni, Palazzo Rusticucci-Accoramboni and the Church of San Giacomo in Scossacavalli. The palaces of the Convertendi, Jacopo da Brescia, Alicorni and Rusticucci were rebuilt, using in the reconstruction elements of the demolished buildings. The ancient Church of San Lorenzo in Piscibus underwent radical transformations and was incorporated Read more [...]

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    Via delle Volte

    Via delle Volte (Street of the Vaults) is an ancient street in Ferrara, located between Corso Porta Reno, to the north, and Via Giuoco del Pallone, to the south, in the medieval center of the city.   SHORT HISTORY Via delle Volte is characterized by arches built during the 13th and the 14th centuries. Its almost rectilinear layout, though, dates back to the oldest urban development of the city, before the deviation of the Po River in 1152. During the 13th century, the street was known as Via dei Bastardini (Street of Bastards), because it housed the Pious Institute of illegitimate or abandoned children (Pio Istituto dei figli illegittimi o abbandonati), which later became the Umberto I Institute. Later, during the 15th century, the street was called Via del Gambero, and was famous for an old filthy tavern, called Bordello del Gambero (Brothel of the Shrimp), assiduously frequented by prostitutes. In the 19th century, it was also known as Via delle Prostitute (Street of Prostitutes), due to the large number of brothels in the area, and some popular sayings still refer to this name. During the 20th century, the street was also called Via Bersaglieri del Po, in honor of Read more [...]

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    Via Etnea

    Via Etnea is the main street of the historical center of Catania, which runs in the south-north direction for about 2.8 kilometers, from Piazza del Duomo to Tondo Gioeni. Via Etnea is the shopping street of Catania, and one of the busiest streets in the city, both during the day and at night.   SHORT HISTORY Via Etnea was built at the end of the 17th century, following the disastrous earthquake of January 11, 1693, which almost destroyed the city of Catania. The Duke of Camastra, sent by the Viceroy of Sicily to oversee the reconstruction of the city, decided to trace new roads according to orthogonal directions, and started right from the Cathedral of Sant’Agata. A road was thus created that led from the Cathedral towards Etna. The street was initially called Via Duke of Uzeda, in honor of the viceroy of the time. Later, the street changed its name to Via Stesicorea, and finally to the current Via Etnea. The road was about 700 meters long, and ended in the current Piazza Stesicoro, where one of the gates of Catania was located. During the 20th century, the street developed further north, to Piazza Cavour, and then to Tondo Read more [...]

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    Corso Vittorio Emanuele II

    Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is the main artery of the historical center of Pordenone. The street, with its relatively sinuous course, invites you to stroll under the shelter of its arcades, being the perfect route for the local passeggiata (a leisurely walk, taken especially in the evening in Italian cities).   SHORT HISTORY Once, the street was named Contrada Maggiore, and it connected the two main city gates: Porta de Soto (or Furlana), towards the river, and Porta de Sora (or Trevisana), near Piazza Cavour, both demolished in the 19th century.   ARCHITECTURE The pedestrian street starts from Piazza Cavour, towards the Noncello River, and ends about 450 meters away, in front of the Communal Palace (Palazzo Comunale), near the Cathedral of San Marco. The power of the ancient Pordenone is still visible on the street, in the sequence of buildings belonging to the noble families of the past… Walking from Piazza Cavour, on the western side of the street, at No. 10, there is Casa Simoni, built in the 14th century. The house, with two floors, has a frescoed facade with two windows with trefoil arches in Gothic style, flanking the city’s coat of arms. At No. 44, we Read more [...]

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    Corso Andrea Palladio

    Corso Andrea Palladio is the main street of Vicenza, named in 1945 after the famous Renaissance architect. About 700 meters in lenght, it crosses the historical center of the city from west to east, respectively from Piazza Castello to Piazza Giacomo Matteotti.   SHORT HISTORY The current street corresponds substantially to what, in Roman times, was the decumanus maximus (the main road in a Roman city, oriented from west to east). Also called strata major, after the construction of the early medieval walls of the city, it was bordered to the west by Porta Feliciana and to the east by Porta San Pietro. During the Middle Ages, but also in modern times, Corso Palladio retained the function of linking the neighbouring cities of Veneto, respectively Verona and Padua. Near its edges, there were inns, taverns and, later, parking lots. In 1847, the historian Cesare Cantù called it the most elegant street in Europe, if you do not count the Grand Canal of the incomparable Venice. In 1866, after the annexation of Veneto to the Kingdom of Italy, the street was officially called Corso Principe Umberto. In 1943, the name was changed to Corso Ettore Muti and finally, after the Liberation, Read more [...]

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    Lungomare Falcomatà

    Lungomare Falcomatà, built along the seafront of Reggio Calabria, is the most famous street of the city and one of the most famous in Italy. Lungomare is dedicated to the mayor Italo Falcomatà, protagonist and inspirer of the Primavera di Reggio (Spring of Reggio), the rebirth of the city from the 1990s. The waterfront of Reggio is about 1.7 kilometers long, from Piazza Indipendenza to Piazza Garibaldi, consisting of four segments: Falcomatà, Matteotti, Corso Vittorio Emanuele III and Viale Genoese Zerbi. The entire area is generally identified as Via Marina. The seafront of the city is rich in palm trees and varied plant species. The avenue is adorned with buildings dating back to the last reconstruction of the city, after the 1908 earthquake. The street is also enriched by elements that indirectly trace the history of the city, such as numerous commemorative monuments, a monumental fountain and some archaeological sites testifying about the Greek-Roman era. Between the sea and the promenade stands the Arena dello Stretto (Arena of the Strait), a typically Greek-style theater that hosts cultural events especially during the summer months. On the pier of Porto Salvo, in front of the arena, stands the monument of Vittorio Emanuele Read more [...]

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    Via Maestà delle Volte

    Via Maestà delle Volte is, probably, the most beautiful street in Perugia, although it does not have more than 100 meters. Its name comes from a fresco known as Maestà delle Volte, that most likely portrayed Madonna with the Child. The street starts from Piazza IV Novembre and ends in Piazza Cavallotti. At number 1, you can find the facade of the Church of the Maestà delle Volte, now a clothing store. Near the church, is a small arch from pink and white stone, belonging to the Oratory of the Maestà delle Volte, built in 1335 to protect the fresco mentioned above. To the right of the church, is a ceramic panel placed at the end of the Second World War, by G. Belleti, representing the Madonna with the Child and Saints Ercolano and Costanzo presenting the city to the Virgin. About 15 meters further, as you walk along the street, you will find the Fountain of Via Maestà delle Volte, built in 1928 by the architect Pietro Angelini, under an ancient arch of the 15th century.   HOW TO GET THERE Via Maestà delle Volte is near the Piazza IV Novembre, in the middle of historic city of Perugia. Read more [...]

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    Clivus Scauri

    Clivus Scauri is an ancient street in Rome, located along the depression between the Palatine Hill and the Caelian Hill, connecting Piazza di Santissimi Giovanni e Paolo to Piazza di San Gregorio.   SHORT HISTORY The name of the street is testified by an inscription from the imperial age and by medieval sources starting from the 8th century. Its origin is probably linked to the Aemilia Scauri family.   DESCRIPTION The street begins in Piazza di San Gregorio, near the Church of San Gregorio al Celio, and ends near the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo al Celio. The ancient appearance of the road was preserved, with some sectors flanked by houses built during Roman times, with large parts of the facades connected by medieval arches. The current Church of San Gregorio al Celio was built on the site of an ancient oratory between 1629 and 1633, on a design by the architect Giovanni Battista Soria. Near the Church of San Gregorio al Celio, we can see the remains of a cryptoporticus (covered corridor) belonging to a 3rd-century house. The Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo al Celio, located near the other end of the street, was erected starting with Read more [...]