Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The 1860s glass-roofed shopping arcade beside the cathedral square in Milan, Italy.
At a glance
| Source | Author | Role | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither Here Nor There | Bill Bryson | setting | The one place in rich, charmless Milan that Bryson admires. |
Neither Here Nor There — Bill Bryson (1991)
Source: Readwise highlight
The Galleria is an imposing shopping arcade, four stories high, built in the grandiose style of the 1860s, and still probably the most handsome shopping mall in the world,
- Role: setting
- In the book: Chapter 16. Bryson lists “the city’s three glories: La Scala, the cathedral, and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II”. After the dim, tourist-free cathedral he crosses to the Galleria, then strolls the expensive shopping streets nearby, which leave him cold.
- Why it matters: His verdict on Milan is a rich city without charm; the Galleria is the exception that lets him admire something before he moves on to the Santa Maria delle Grazie refectory.