Overview
Piazza della Scala is undoubtedly one of the symbolic places of Milan. Reach it along the spectacular Galleria Vittorio Emanuele that connects it to Piazza Duomo. The Teatro alla Scala is one of the most spectacular scenes in the square. The others are Palazzo Marino and the buildings of the Banca Commerciale Italiana that stand on the sides.
The square was enlarged in the mid-nineteenth century when some palaces were demolished and a monument to Leonardo Da Vinci was placed in the center. The name of the square comes from the famous theater that in turn took its name from the church of Santa Maria della Scala on which it was built and which had been commissioned by Beatrice Regina della Scala.
The new theatre, commissioned in 1776 by Maria Theresa of Austria, was designed by Piermarini in neoclassical style and opened two years later. Opposite the theater stands the sumptuous Palazzo Marino, seat of the municipality of Milan from the Unification of Italy. The palace dates back to the sixteenth century but the facade was rebuilt in the nineteenth century. The two buildings of the Banca Commerciale Italiana date back to 1912 and 1920. The first houses the Museum of the Galleries of Italy, a must-see for all art lovers.
