Piazza del Duomo, also known as Cathedral Square - one of the main attractions of Milan. It got its name from the towering above the cathedral - the Duomo. The area is the center of the city, both geographically and in terms of its importance in the arts, culture and social life of Milan. Rectangular in shape, it stretches over an area of ​​17 thousand square meters. m. On it are major attractions not only in Milan, but Italy as a whole.

Piazza del Duomo, was founded in the 14th century and since then has continually changed and expanded as the Duomo Cathedral, the construction of which lasted more than six centuries. The current appearance of the square - the result of the work of the architect Giuseppe Mengoni, who lived in Milan during the second half of the 19th century. Many of the buildings that surround the area (with the exception of the Duomo and the Palazzo Reale) - also the creation Mengoni, including - the world-famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

In 1330, the year Atstsone Visconti, ruler of Milan, ordered to demolish taverns surrounding the two main churches of the city of that time - the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Basilica of Santa Tecla. In their place he wanted to build Piazza del Arengo (from the Italian "arengario" - government building) - that it will be a future ancestor of the Piazza del Duomo. None of the original buildings of Piazza del Arengario has been preserved to this day.

At the end of the 14th century were torn down the Baptistery of San Giovanni alle Fonti and the bishop's house, later - the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, and then began the construction of the Duomo. And in 1458, the year was destroyed and the church of Santa Tecla, thereby creating a vast space around the future of the cathedral.

The following modification of the area took place in the second half of the 18th century, when the architect Giuseppe Piermarini remade former "arengario" in the current Palazzo Reale. And in the 19th century to the south-east of the cathedral was built Fabbrika del Duomo. But major changes in the appearance of the area occurred after the Second War of Independence, Italy (1859 st year) - that's when it was announced the government's intention to create an avenue in honor of King Vittorio Emanuele II. Restructuring of the area was entrusted to Giuseppe Mengoni, and he started to work in 1865. At first, the area was expanded, which was demolished whole surrounding area, and only then on it appeared many of the current attractions, including the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and two Palazzo dei Portici. In 1896 in the center of Piazza del Duomo, a monument to King Victor Emmanuel II.

The last major change occurred in the image area during the Nazi reign - to the point where Mengoni had planned to build a second triumphal arch was erected the Palazzo Arengario, Government House, whose main objective was to provide a place for public performances of Mussolini to the people. Today the building houses a museum of art Arengario 20th century.