Royal Palace of Milan

Royal Palace of Milan
Palazzo Reale di Milano
Royal Palace of Milan façade
General information
Status	now used as a museum
Type	Palace
Architectural style	Neo-Classical
Location	Milan, Italy
Address	Piazza del Duomo 12
Technical details
Floor count	3
Design and construction
Architect	Giuseppe Piermarini
Website
Comune of Milan
Invalid designation
Official name	Palazzo Reale di Milano
Type	Non-movable
Criteria	Monument
State Party	Italy

The Royal Palace of Milan (Italian: Palazzo Reale di Milano) was the seat of government of the Italian city of Milan for many centuries, but today is an important cultural centre, home to expositions and exhibitions.

Originally designed with a system of two yards, then partially demolished to make room for the Duomo, the palace is located to the right of the facade of the cathedral in the opposite position with respect to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The facade of the building, following the line of the ancient courtyard, forming a recess with respect to Piazza del Duomo, known as the Piazzetta Reale (English: Small Royal Square).

On the first floor of the building you'll find the magnificent Hall of Caryatids, which occupies the site of the old theatre burned in 1776 and is the only environment that survived the heavy bombings in 1943, when the Palace lost most of the neoclassical interiors.

The royal palace has ancient origins. It was first called the Palazzo del Broletto Vecchio and was the seat of city's government during the period of medieval communes in the Middle Ages.

The palace became a key political centre during the rules of the Torriani, Visconti and Sforza households. After the construction of the Cathedral, there was an important renovation under the government of Francesco Sforza.

Between the late 15th and early 16th centuries, with the end of the Sforza dynasty and the French invasion, the Castello Sforzesco, which until then was the official residence of the Dukes of Milan, had increasingly become more of a fortress suited for weapons. Under the French rule of Louis XII and of François I, the seat of the court was moved to the current Royal Palace.

Thanks to the arrival of the Governor Ferrante Gonzaga in Milan, who took permanent residence in the city from 1546, the building flourished, elevating the ducal court to a true palace and governor's residence in Milan. The Gonzaga were the first to begin to complete the rooms of the complex.