25 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Lombardy

The term " Grotte di Catullo " identifies a Roman villa built between the end of the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD in Sirmione, in the province of Brescia, on the southern shore of Lake Garda. The archaeological complex, part of which, especially in the northern sector, which has always remained insight, has been the subject of scholarly visits and speculations since the 15th century, is today the most important testimony of the Roman period in the territory of Sirmione and is the exampl

“Arch of Peace”, is a triumphant arch located at Porta Sempione, one of Milan's many city gates. This 25m-high triumphal arch was situated at the northwestern edge of Parco Sempione. On the top of the Arch stands a statuary group in bronze depicting the “Chariot of Peace” flanked by the four “Victorias on Horseback”, while the facade shows the embodiments of the rivers Po, Ticino, Adda and Tagliamento.

The Branca Tower, originally Torre Littoria, is a steel construction built-in 1933 on a project by the architect Giò Ponti and located inside the Sempione Park in Milan. With its 108.60 meters high, it is the tenth highest accessible structure in the city after the Unicredit Tower. The top of the tower is a panoramic point whose view, on a clear day, may encompass the Milan cityline as well as the Alps, the Apennines, and part of the Po Valley.

The Castello del Valentino is an ancient Savoy residence, as well as a historic building in Turin located in the Valentino Park of the same name on the banks of the Po river . Owned by the State since 1850 and later assigned to the Polytechnic of Turin , it houses the headquarters of the Department of Architecture and the related three-year and master's degree courses.

The Vezio castle stands on a promontory at the bottom of the Val d'Esino and overlooks the town of Varenna. The castle is located almost entirely in the territory of Varenna, and for a small portion in the territory of Perledo. The hamlet of Vezio belongs to Perledo in the province of Lecco . Dating back to the 11th century, the castle was remodeled several times over the centuries.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is an elegant nineteenth-century shopping arcade which houses some of the most luxurious boutiques in Milan. It is located between two of the main monuments in Milan: il Duomo and the Teatro alla Scala. It also contains some of the nice restaurants, including some of the oldest establishments of Milan. The massive Galleria makes for a stunning sight, and its enormous dimensions have made it an overnight sensation ever since it was opened to the people of Milan.

The Palazzo della Ragione was the ancient seat of city courts and the covered market of Padua. It was built starting from 1218 and raised in 1306 by Giovanni Degli Eremitani who gave it the characteristic roof in the shape of an overturned ship hull. The upper floor is occupied by the largest hanging room in the world, called the "Salone" with a wooden ceiling in the shape of a ship's hull. It is part of the Civic Museums of Padua. The lower floor houses the historic covered market of the city.

Palazzo Marino is a 16th-century palace located in Piazza Della Scala, in the center of Milan, Italy. It has been Milan's city hall since 9 September 1861. The palace has been the seat of the administration of the city of Milan since 1861. The building is named after Tommaso Marino, a rich Genoan merchant who commissioned the palace to make it his private home, although he died in bankruptcy. It became public property in 1781 when it was restored.

The Pinacoteca di Brera is a national gallery of ancient and modern art, located in the palace of the same name, one of the largest complexes in Milan with over 24,000 square meters of surface. The museum exhibits one of the most famous collections in Italy of painting, specializing in Venetian and Lombard painting, with important pieces from other schools. Moreover, thanks to donations, it offers an exhibition itinerary that ranges from prehistoric times to contemporary art, with masterpieces

The Rocca Borromeo di Angera, or Rocca d'Angera, also called Borromeo Castle, is a castle on a lakeside hilltop in the limits of the town of Angera in the Province of Varese. Rocca di Angera dominates the southern end of Lake Maggiore. In the historic rooms, there are original frescoes, paintings, and decorations. Inside the fortress there is the Doll and Toy Museum which traces the history of the game from the 18th century.

It is one of the most beautiful European Royal Villas, whose Park is larger than that of Versailles, with which it competes in beauty. The Villa is located at the foot of the hills of Brianza, a place that was chosen not only for its beauty but also for its strategically important position across the Milan-Vienna route.

The hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso is a monastery built overhanging the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, in the municipality of Leggiuno. The monastery can be reached on foot by descending down a long winding stairway or by taking an elevator or by a number of ferry services or boats that dock at the pier. Visitors are rewarded with a secluded garden courtyard leading to an unassuming church door. It is in this chapel that you’ll find the extremely well-preserved body of Alberto Besozzi,

Scaligero Castle in the commune of Sirmione sits on a thin peninsula jutting out into the southern end of Lake Garda. It is perhaps the best-preserved castle from medieval times in Italy, constructed in the middle of the 13th century on top of the remains of an ancient Roman fortress. The purpose of the construction was to own a defensive structure that also procured postural control, given how Sirmione's position near the border greatly exposed it to the threat of assault and aggression.

Sforzesco Castle was originally a fortress of the Visconti family, later became home to the mighty Sforza dynasty that ruled Milan Renaissance. Now it is a beautiful monument sheltering several specialized museums and traces of the city’s past. An oasis of art and culture. Its collections include those of the Museum of Antique Art, of the Museum of Musical Instruments, and of the Picture Gallery.

The Teatro Alla Scala, colloquially known as La Scala, is the main opera house in Milan. Considered among the most prestigious theaters in the world, for 242 years it has hosted the main artists in the international field of opera and classical music. The building, designed by Giuseppe Piermarini and inaugurated in 1778, was built on the ashes of the previous Ducal Theater. The theater complex is located in the square of the same name, flanked by the Casino Ricordi, home to the La Scala Theater

The Museo Teatrale alla Scala is a theatrical museum and library attached to the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. It is also one of the most famous opera houses in the world. Many famous operas have had their first production in La Scala, such as Othello, Nabucco by Verdi or Madame Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini. The Theatre Museum contains a large collection of paintings, busts, costumes and several other objects related to the world of opera and theatre.

The Milan Triennale, housed in the Palazzo dell'Arte, is an international cultural institution that produces exhibitions, conferences, and events on art, design, architecture, fashion, cinema, communication, and society. It organizes exhibitions of great visibility and attention such as those dedicated to contemporary art, to architects and designers of national and international fame, to the great stylists who have changed taste and customs, to social issues.

Italy’s tallest skyscraper is home to its largest bank, Unicredit, which occasionally allows the public to visit its dramatic top-deck viewing gallery. It quickly became a symbol of Milan and thanks above all to its impressive Spire building it has an extremely sinuous appearance. It features a fully glazed façade facing north and another facing south modulated by the horizontal lines of the brise soleil for more correct solar radiation.

The Velasca Tower is a skyscraper built in the 1950s by the BBPR architectural partnership, Milan, Italy. The tower is approximately 100 metres tall and has a peculiar and characteristic mushroom-like shape. The building responds to its prominent location near the Milan Cathedral in the city's historic center. It was one of the iconic buildings in this area which was also a famous gathering point too.

Villa Carlotta is a building located in the municipality of Tremezzina in the province of Como and located on the shores of Lake Como. The villa is famous both for the art collections kept inside and for the vast botanical garden that surrounds it, part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani circuit. An illustrious figure in Milan and art collector, in contact with the most illustrious artists of the period, Sommariva modified the interior of the villa in order to enrich it with works from his collect