Milanese Sites Trivia Quiz

Answer: La Scala

La Scala Opera House opened in 1778 and was a replacement for the previous opera house that burned down two years before. La Scala was originally called Nuovo Regio Ducale Teatro alla Scala before it was renamed Teatro alla Scala or just La Scala for short.

The opera house's main architect was Giuseppe Piermarini who also built the Royal Palace of Milan. In addition to being an opera house, La Scala once served as a casino and is now home to a ballet theater as well.

Answer: It is Italy's oldest shopping center

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a large shopping center that spans four floors. It opened in 1877 and was designed by Giuseppe Mengoni. The Galleria is a enclosed in a large glass dome and its "walls" resemble those of ancient city walls and buildings.

During World War II, the Galleria was bombed and its roof sustained substantial damage that was not completely fixed until the 1980s. The floor of the Galleria has mosaics in some places representing the coat of arms of several Italian cities. The bull of Turin is especially said to bring good luck to those who step on the bull's testicles and spin around. Such practice is frowned upon as it can damage the mosaic. The Galleria connects La Scala Opera House to the Duomo and is located in main tourist area of Milan.

Answer: Mary, the mother of Jesus

The Milan Cathedral, popular referred to as Il Duomo, is the largest church in Italy and one of the largest in the world. The Duomo took a notoriously long time to be officially completed. Construction began in 1386 but wasn't finished totally until 1965.

It was built in the Italian Gothic style. One of the most well recognized features of the cathedral is its spire which stands over 350 ft (108.5 m) tall. The official English name for Il Duomo is the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Nativity of St. Mary, with St. Mary being Mary the mother of Jesus.

Answer: Basilicas of San Lorenzo and Sant'Eustorgio

Milan is home to many churches and basilicas and each one is steeped in beauty and history. The Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio are connected by the famous Basilicas Park. Basilicas Park was renamed Pope John Paul II Park in 2000, but it is still commonly called by its old name.

The Basilica of San Lorenzo is one of the oldest churches in the city. Its date of construction is unknown, but it is speculated it could have been built as early 390 A.D. Nearby are the ancient Roman ruins called the Colonne di San Lorenzo. The Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio is said to be the burial place of the wise men who visited baby Jesus after his birth. It is also the burial place of St. Peter of Verona, whose tomb is the church's chapel.

Answer: City hall

The Palazzo Marino was built by Genovese banker Tommaso Marino to be his main residence in Milan. It was decorated by some of Milan's most famous artists of the 16th century. One of the most striking features are four murals depicting each of the four seasons in each of the building's four corners.

When Marino died, his family went bankrupt and ownership of the Palazzo Marino exchanged hands several times until the Lombardian government took it over in the mid-19th century.

Answer: Villa Reale

Milan's modern art gallery is located in the Villa Reale, an 18th-century building that was once the home of Count Ludovico Barbiano di Belgiojoso. The Villa Reale is properly called the Villa Belgiojoso Bonaparte. The building is known for its English gardens and is located near the more famous Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli, the city's oldest park.

The modern art gallery displays works from mostly Italian and European artists including Pablo Picasso, Giuseppe Ferrari and Paul Cezanne.

Answer: It is home to da Vinci's "The Last Supper"

Leonardo da Vinci painted "The Last Supper" on the wall in the refectory in the Santa Maria delle Grazie. The painting depicts the moment Jesus tells his apostles that one of them will betray him. The painting is one of the most famous of all time and played a prominent role in the book "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown.

The Santa Maria delle Grazie was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980 because of "The Last Supper". The mural has been restored several times as its position in the church makes it susceptible to fading other damage.

Answer: A.C. Milan and Inter Milan

San Siro Stadium is the largest stadium in Italy by seating capacity. It can seat over 80,000 people when filled to capacity. It is the home stadium of two Italy's most successful football franchises: A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. The stadium is commonly called San Siro but the full name is Giuseppe Meazza Stadium after the famed World Cup Champion Giuseppe Meazza.

Answer: Stock exchange

The Borsa Italiana is Italy's stock exchange located in the Palazzo Mezzanotte which is in the Piazza Affari, Milan's business plaza. One feature of the Palazzo Mezzanotte is the so-called Cries Room, where businessmen would literally yell out their purchases when the exchange first opened in the early 19th century.

The Borsa Italiana is responsible for about a third of the Italian economy.

Answer: Milano Central Railway Station

Fascist architecture was a style that was popular in Axis countries of Europe up to and during World War II. Dictators like Mussolini and Hitler sought to revise ancient Roman architecture and add a modern design to the style. Mussolini, in particular, was a strong advocate of fascist architecture and believed it was an essential part of nationalism. One prime example of it is the Milano Central Railway Station built in 1931. Imprisoned Italian Jewish people were sent to death camps from the station during the Holocaust. Even today there is still evidence of Italy's fascist past in the railway station including some rooms with swastikas painted in them. Such areas are not open to the public.