The Coperto dei Figini was a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

porticoed A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

building located in what is now Piazza del Duomo, the central square in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. The construction began in 1467 on a design by architect

Guiniforte Solari Guiniforte Solari (c. 1429 – c. 1481), also known as ''Boniforte'', was an Italian sculptor, architect and engineer. Born in Milan, he was the son of the architect Giovanni Solari, and brother of Francesco Solari. Guiniforte was chief engineer ...

(from the

Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano The Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano ("Venerable Factory of the Duomo of Milan") is a 600-year-old organization that was established to supervise the construction of the Cathedral of Milan (the "Duomo"). The organization is still active and ...

), ordered by

Pietro Figino Pietro is an Italian masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: People * Pietro I Candiano (c. 842–887), briefly the 16th Doge of Venice * Pietro Tribuno (died 912), 17th Doge of Venice, from 887 to his death * Pietro II Can ...

. The building, located on the north-western side of the piazza,La sistemazione finale della piazza
/ref> was a popular meeting place for the Milanese people for over 400 years; it housed several shops that sold such drinks as the ''turbolin'' (boiled and filtered coffee), chocolate, ''

barbajada The Barbajada (also italianized as BarbagliataRecipe for La Barbajada
on melegnano ...

'', orgeat syrup, and more. Many of these shops evolved into cafes when the first such establishments appeared in Milan;Il Coperto dei Figini
for example, one of the historic Caffé Campari in Milan was located there. The Coperto was ordered for demolition in the early 19th century (and actually demolished in the 1860s), as a consequence of the major redesign of the ''piazza''. Painter

Angelo Inganni Angelo Inganni (November 24, 1807 – December 2, 1880) was an Italian painter. Biography Born in Brescia, Inganni was taught the basics of art by his father Giovanni and his elder brother Francesco, with whom he worked on fresco decorations fr ...

has left a few drawings depicting the Coperto a few years before being demolished, and some photographs have also been preserved.

References in popular culture

The 19th century poet and novelist

Iginio Ugo Tarchetti Iginio (or Igino) Ugo Tarchetti (; 29 June 1839 – 25 March 1869) was an Italian author, poet, and journalist. Life Born in San Salvatore Monferrato, his military career was cut short by ill health, and in 1865 he settled in Milan. Here h ...

chose the Coperto dei Figini as the main setting of his novel '' Paolina: Misteri del Coperto dei Figini'' (1865).Paolina: Misteri del Coperto dei Figini
/ref>

Footnotes

{{coord, 45.4645, N, 9.1898, E, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:IT, display=title History of Milan Buildings and structures in Milan Buildings and structures demolished in the 1860s Demolished buildings and structures in Italy