Piazza Cordusio (also informally referred to as Piazzale Cordusio)
[The terms "piazza" and "piazzale" both refer to city squares, the latter being used for "larger" squares. While Cordusio is a rather large square, its formal name is "Piazza Cordusio" (se]
. An example of a formally defined "Piazzale" is Piazzale Loreto
is a major city square in Milan, Italy.
Origin
The name ''Loreto'' is also used in a wider sense to refer to the district surrounding the square, which is part of the Zone 2 administrative division, in the northeastern part of the city. The ...
(which is in fact much larger than Cordusio). is a square in central
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 ...
. The ''piazza'' takes its name from the ''Cors Ducis'' (Ducal court) which was located on the square during
Longobard times. It is well known for its several turn-of-the-19th-century
Neoclassical,
eclectic
Eclectic may refer to:
Music
* ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014
* ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996
* Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act
* Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...
and
Art Nouveau buildings, banks and post offices. Even though many of these have now relocated elsewhere, it is still an important commercial square in the city and hosts the ''Palazzo delle
Assicurazioni Generali
Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. ( , ; meaning 'general insurances') or simply Generali Group is an Italian insurance company based in Trieste. As of 2019, it is the largest of its kind in Italy and among the top ten largest insurance companies in ...
'' (Palace of the Assicurazioni Generali), the ''Palazzo del Credito Italiano'' (Palace of the Credito Italiano) and the ''Palazzo delle Poste (Palace of the Post Office), former Borsa di Milano'' (former Milan Stock Exchange). Piazzale Cordusio hosts the
Cordusio metro station and is the starting point of the elegant pedestrian
Via Dante which leads to the imposing medieval
Castello Sforzesco, or Milan Castle. Opposite to Via Dante, Cordusio borders onto
Piazza Mercanti, former city centre in the Middle Ages, which leads directly to
Piazza del Duomo, today's city centre.
Notable buildings
Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali
The
Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali is the main one in the square and was built by architect
Luca Beltrami
Luca Beltrami (November 13, 1854 – August 8, 1933) was an Italian architect and architectural historian, known particularly for restoration projects.
Biography
Beltrami was born in Milan. He was initially a student at the Politecnico in Mila ...
from 1897 to 1901. It housed the main headquarters of the mega-finance corporation
Assicurazioni Generali
Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. ( , ; meaning 'general insurances') or simply Generali Group is an Italian insurance company based in Trieste. As of 2019, it is the largest of its kind in Italy and among the top ten largest insurance companies in ...
. It has a small tower with a dome.
Palazzo del Credito Italiano
The
Palazzo del Credito Italiano, a semi-circular eclectic building, was designed by
Luigi Broggi and built in 1901.
Palazzo delle Poste
Another semi-circular building similar in style to that of the Credito Italiano, and also designed by Luigi Broggi and completed in 1901. It was the old stock exchange of Milan, until it was transferred to the more modern
Palazzo Mezzanotte in
Piazza Affari ("Business Square"). After having hosted the main post office in Milan, currently it hosts the first
Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Europe.
File:Piazza Cordusio 2 002.jpg, Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali
File:Palazzo del Credito Italiano in Milan.jpg, Palazzo del Credito Italiano
File:Palazzo delle Poste Milano.jpg, Palazzo delle Poste
Monuments
Monumento a Giuseppe Parini
This is a metal and stone statue which stands in the middle of the piazzale and is meant to depict the great literary figure
Giuseppe Parini
Giuseppe Parini (23 May 1729 – 15 August 1799) was an Italian enlightenment satirist and poet of the neoclassic period.
Biography
Parini (originally spelled Parino) was born in Bosisio (later renamed Bosisio Parini in his honour) in Brianza ...
(born in 1729, and died in 1799). It was constructed by Luca Beltrami (born in 1854, and died in 1933).
Footnotes
{{Milan landmarks
Piazzas in Milan
Tourist attractions in Milan