Palazzo Marino

Right in front of the Teatro alla Scala you can see this beautiful building – now hosting the headquarters of Milan mayor and deputy major… And obviously all the other people who work with them! This building is named after its old owner, a Genoese count, Tommaso Marino. A clever and unscrupulous businessman that lived about 500 years ago: after saving a huge fortune he decided to build a home worth of his wealth.
 
He spared no expense and, after demolishing the old houses on that area, he started building his home.
Unfortunately his home wasn’t completed, even though he lived until the age of 100! This is because the Milanese did not like him very much because he was a sly and dishonest man, and to get their revenge they cursed the building under construction with these words: “this heap of stones, fruits of a lot of robberies, will burn or become derelict or will be stolen by another thief”. The count died without money and without seeing his building fully finished, which was seized by the Spanish government and then by the Austrian one… Risking to burn under the Second World War bombings!
 
If you want to have a short break, be careful because you are in one of the most expensive areas of the city… You are in Milan city centre, the most tourist and expensive zone… So take our advice to avoid any unpleasant surprises, both in terms of spending and quality!
 
If it is lunch time or time for a snack, and you don’t want to waste time, you should stop and have a panzerotto at Luini, in Via Santa Redegonda.
You can stop in Via san Paolo, 15 where you will find the Antica Focacceria San Francesco: high-quality Sicilian delicacies, perfect for a quick and tasty lunch.
 
Then go to Via Cappellari, 3. Whilst having a stroll take a look at Humana Vintage, a shop selling second-hand clothes of the 60s, 70s, 80s. The earnings will be allocated to poor countries in the southern part of the world!