Cathedral Square

You can feel it, you can tell, you’re standing in Milan’s central square, the very heart of the city, where everything begins. This is where locals gather to mark big occasions. Spanning a vast 17,000 square metres, it’s the perfect stage to step back and take in, jaw dropped, the towering cathedral that dominates it all. The Duomo is perfectly framed by this grand square and the magnificent buildings that surround it. To the left of the cathedral, you’ll spot the triumphal arch entrance to the stunning Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II; to the right, the Royal Palace and the Palazzo dell’Arengario, home to the Museo del Novecento, dedicated to Italian 20th-century art. Elegant colonnaded buildings line the square, housing restaurants and high-end boutiques, while at the centre, Victor Emmanuel II sits proudly astride his horse, the first king of a united Italy.