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 located on 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.
Palazzo delle Poste (1901): 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.
Casa Broggi (1895): eclectic building at intersection of Via Dante and Meravigli, designed by Luigi Broggi and a young
Giuseppe Sommaruga. While the base has a rusticated simplicity, upper levels become more decorative.
Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali
Palazzo del Credito Italiano
Palazzo delle Poste
Monuments
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 (1729-1799). It was constructed by
Luca Beltrami (1854-1933).
Footnotes
^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
[1]). An example of a formally defined "Piazzale" is
Piazzale Loreto (which is in fact much larger than Cordusio).