VisitaMilano

 Cadorna Station - The Needle and Thread square and monument
The station originated in the last quarter of the XIX century to link-up the train rails to the pre-alpine hinterland, utilizing a design by the Belge Albert Vaucamps. It was completely renovated in 1956; the building underwent a global restyling (Gae Aulenti) to which we owe the new façade, the coluorful metalic bus shelter, and the sculpture Needle-and-Thread by Claes Oldenbur and Coosje van Bruggen.

 Fountain-Monument to Giuseppe Grandi
The fountain-monument (1936) is dedicated to the bizarre and genial "bald" Giuseppe Grandi (1843-94); a sculptor, painter, engraver, stand-out exponent of the Lombard Scapigliatura movement; builder of numerous Lombard monuments, among which is Beccaria (Piazza Beccaria) and the Five Days of Milan (Piazza V Giornate).

 Piazza Belgioioso
In the square stands the imposing Palazzo Belgioioso, built in Neoclassical style by the architect Piermarini. On the corner with Via Morone is the house where Alessandro Manzoni lived: it is now a museum, the Museo Manzoniano, dedicated to the writer.

 Piazza Castello
Located in the heart of the city, Piazza Castello is one of the most loved and visited place by tourists who come here attracted by the charm of the Sforzesco Castle, the symbol of the power of the Lords of Milan.

 Piazza Cinque Giornate
The monument in honor of the historic Five Days of Milan (18-22 March 1848, one of the most popular episodes of the Italian Risorgimento), was built by G. Large and unveiled in 1895. The work consists in a bronze obelisk planting on a base where are represented five women who represent the Five Days of Milan.

 Piazza Cordusio
Very close to the Duomo, to the Sforzesco Castle and to the business district, the Cordusio Square is always a very crowded and busy crossroads.

 Piazza Diaz
Piazza Diaz is located only a short walk from Milan's Duomo cathedral. The square dates from 1939, following the demolition of older buildings. and hosts a monument to the Italian Carabinieri created in 1980. Note the huge skyscraper, constructed in 1956, which is crowned by the famous Terrazza Martini.

 Piazza Duomo
Piazza Duomo is the vitality centre of Milan. The square, dominated by the striking Gothic frontage of the Duomo, and decorated in the centre by the Equestrian Monument to King Victor Emmanuel II, is surrounded by several architectures from various periods: in front of the Duomo rises Palazzo Carminati, while the North and South Porticoes are symmetrically set against the main sides of the Piazza. In particular the latter provides access to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

 Piazza Fontana and Piermarini's fountain
In the pleasant Piazza Fontana, which was originally the Archbishop's garden and a marketplace, there is a large fountain made of three superimposed ponds, in pink granite from Baveno. The fountain, built on the orders of minister Firman, based on the designs of the architect Giuseppe Piermarini, used to be considered a precious reserve of water in the past and nowadays is a beautiful decoration in the piazza.

 Piazza Mercanti
Located just west of Piazza Duomo, a group of buildings are a splendid example of Milan's architectural development from the Medieval to the 1600's. Piazza Mercanti boasts Palazzo della Ragione (1228) Milan's most outstanding building that dates back to the era of the commune system. Across the square, there is the elegant 14th century construction Loggia degli Osii (1316): built in black and white marble, the project was commissioned by Matteo Visconti. Next to the Loggia there is the 18th century Palazzo delle Scuole Palatine, designed by Carlo Buzzi and built between 1644 and 1645. At the end of the square there is the remains of Panigarola House (XV century) which used to house the Status Office. In building number 2 of via Mercanti is Palazzo dei Giureconsulti, commissioned by Pope Pious IV, Angelo Maria Medici of Milan, during the late Reinassance (1561). The tower's central clock, located between the façade of the Napo Tower, goes back to 1272, and was incorporated in 1601.

 Piazza San Babila
The imposing fountain at the centre of the Piazza was designed by Luigi Caccia Dominioni. It is composed of different types of granite: black from Valtellina, pink from Baveno and white from Montorfano. The Church of San Babila, dated back to the 5th century was restored at the beginning of the last century.

 Piazza San Fedele
In the square are two important 16th century buildings, the church of San Fedele, built in 1569 in the disciplined, severe architecture typical of Jesuit churches. Palazzo Marino, whose construction began in 1558, designed by Galeazzo Alessi is a masterpiece of Renaissance civic architecture, and it is now the seat of the municipal government.

 Piazza San Magno
The Basilica of San Magno stands in the large square and is the most well known and loved artistic monument in Legnano. Work on its construction started in 1504 and is attributed to Donato Bramante of Asdrualdo.

 Villa Visconti Borromeo, Litta, Weil Weiss
Villa Visconti Borromeo Litta, famous for the abundance of its decorations and the variety of its water features, occupies a total area of around three hectares, which include its park. The entire estate was designed in 1585 by Pirro I Visconti Borromeo, a widely-read patron of the arts with many interests, who transformed it into a place of delights. The best artists of the Lombardy area participated in the work, including the architect Martino Bassi and the painter Camillo Procaccini. The nymphaeum, consisting of a series of spaces decorated with mosaics and with artificial grottoes, is considered to be one of the most important examples of its kind in northern Italy, due to the abundance of its decorations and the variety of its water features. The gardens were renovated according to eighteenth-century standards, by the work of great sculptors and of the architect and painter Francesco Levati.