Visit Milan Italy - The Venezia Main Street Tour only 5,00 Euro per person - 09/07/11

In search of the old lazzaretto following neoclassic detached houses, flamingos and eccentric Gothic architecture.
Discovering an old quarter rich in poetry and drama heritage, today still full of suggestions, a quarter steeped in architecture, science nature and commerce.

Church of San Carlo al Corso
A beautiful neoclassic church built to replace the medieval church Santa Maria dei Servi, seat of the Serviti order. Planned by Carlo Amati (1832), the same architect that projected the final version of the Dome façade, the church replaces an ancient convent founded in 1290 and abolished by Napoleon in 1799. The church was consecrate to San Carlo Borromeo to celebrate the end of a devastating cholera epidemic. The restructuring (between 1814 and 1847) gave to the church a circular plan and an arcade with a pronaos composed by Corinthian columns.

Venezia city Gate Milan
This is one of most ancient city gates of Milan and known, until 1860, as Porta Orientale or Renza city gate because through this city gate it was possible to reach Argentium (today known with the name of Gorgonzola); it was also possible to reach Monza, Bergamo and the east Brianza. This city gate was restored in 1782 by Giuseppe Piermarini with a neoclassic style.

Casa Fontana Silvestri - Fontana Silvestri House
This palace was built on "Corso Venezia" in the XII century and renewed with its Gothic-Renaissance cross style at the end of the XIV century. It is one of the few Renaissance places still existing in Milan; this palace was the residence of the near Porta Orientale guardian, the city gate was demolished in the XIX century.

Palazzo Castiglioni - Castiglioni’s Palace
Built by Giuseppe Sommaruga between 1901 and 1904 this palace represents a sort of manifesto of the Art Nouveau style, known also as Liberty or Floréal style. It is a three-storied palace with two façades, the first on the street and the second on the garden; there are also detached parts of the house such as stables and storage. The basement is a rough ashlar-work which represents a continuum of the natural rocky formation. The other decorations resemble the 18th century stucco style.

Palazzo Serbelloni - Serbelloni’s Palace
This majestic palace is today the seat of the Circolo della Stampa (Press Club or Circle); the original 15th century constitution was enriched with neoclassic motifs at the end of the XVIII century by Simone Cantoni. In the centre of the three order windows façade, there is a loggia surmounted by a tympanum based on columns and pillars.

Venezia city Gate Gardens
These are the first public gardens of the city of Milan, realized between 1782 and 1786 by Giuseppe Piermarini’s project (the east area). These Italian style gardens were realized in continuity with the already existent "Boschetti" of Marina Street. The Museum of Natural History was built between 1888 and 1893 and afterwards the Planetarium "Ulrico Hoepli" (1930). The west area as far as Manin Street was built by Giuseppe Balzaretto between 1856 and 1862, following the new English landscape garden vogue.

Belgiojoso Bonaparte Villa
Built in "contrada" Porta Orientale (today Porta Venezia) between 1790 and 1796 the Villa was commissioned by Ludovico Barbiano di Belgiojoso to Giuseppe Piermarini who passed the work to his pupil Leopoldo Pollack. The style is neoclassic, with a central body and two lateral wings enriched with bas-reliefs and mythological saga statues realized under Giuseppe Parini’s indications.

In 1801 it was the residence of Gioacchino Murat and his wife Carolina Bonaparte and later became the residence of the Viceroy Eugenio Beauharnais and his wife Augusta Amalia di Baviera. Eugenio Beauharnais commissioned to Andrea Appiani the fresco representing Paranaso (or Apollo) bard surrounded by the nine Muses, one of the most important masterpieces of the neoclassical Milan culture. Other eminent residences of this Villa were general Radetsky and Napoleone III. After the Unification of Italy this Villa was designated to house the contemporary art collection of the city. Nowadays the Villa is home to the Nineteenth Century Museum.