Piazza Cordusio

Piazza Cordusio (also informally referred to as Piazzale Cordusio)[1] is a square in central Milan, Italy. The piazza takes its name from the Cors Ducis (Ducal court) which was found in the square during Longobard times. It is well known for its several turn-of-the-19th-century Neoclassical, eclectic 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 (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.

The Piazzale Cordusio

Palaces
The Palazzo delle Poste and the old Milan Stock Exchange palace.

Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali

This palace is the main one in the square and was built by architect Luca Beltrami from 1897 to 1901. It is the main headquarters of the mega-finance corporation Assicurazioni Generali. It has a small tower with a dome.

Palazzo del Credito Italiano

The palace of the Credito Italiano, which is a semi-circular eclectic building, designed by Luigi Broggi.

Palazzo delle Poste (ex Borsa di Milano)

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.

Monuments
The Monument to Mr. Parini.

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 (born in 1729, and died in 1799). It was constructed by Luca Beltrami (born in 1854, and died in 1933).

  • The Palazzo del Credito Italiano
  • The Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali
  • A view of the square
  • One of Milan's vintage 1920s tramcars which still travel the city going down a street to one of the entrances of the grand and glamorous Vittorio Emanuele II shopping gallery.

Footnotes
  1. 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" (see ). An example of a formally defined "Piazzale" is Piazzale Loreto (which is in fact much larger than Cordusio).

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