Naplesa city with a thousand faces and countless surprises, hides in its heart an architectural jewel that exudes history, culture and liveliness: the Umberto I Gallery. Often overshadowed by the fame of the famous Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery in Milanthe Umberto I Gallery represents a unique testimony to the art and ingenuity of the era.
However, despite their common roots in the Belle Époque period, the two galleries stand out peculiar characteristics which reflect the essence and soul of their respective cities. What are the similarities and differences between the Gallery of Naples and that of Milan?
The history of the most beautiful galleries in Italy
The first question we ask ourselves when we want to compare the two galleries is: which is older, the gallery of Naples or that of Milan? The answer is to be found in history. The two galleries were created approximately in the same historical period: the first stone of the Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery in Milan was placed in 1865, with the 1878 as the year of inauguration of the same. There Umberto I Gallery in Naples it was built instead between 1887 and 1890.
Both embody therise of modern commercial galleriesi during an era of expansion of urban economies in Europe. The two projects, selected from many proposals, were built by already established engineers, supported by entrepreneurial groups and supported by a growing deviation towards glass and iron constructions, similar to those emerging in Paris, London and Brussels.
L’naming of the galleries after the rulers of the time – Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan and Umberto I in Naples – did not represent just one tribute to the Savoy family, but it also conferred practical benefits. This title guaranteed a preferential treatment in approval processes and simplified bureaucratic procedures, especially for the expropriations necessary to redevelop urban areas interested power plants.
Both projects, in fact, were also carried out to satisfy the urgency of reclaim urban areas in poor condition: in Milan there was a need for connect Piazza Duomo to the Teatro alla Scalawith the removal of an ancient medieval neighborhood made up of narrow streets that were uncomfortable and often dangerous to cross.
Similarly, in Naples, the neighborhood between Via Toledo and Maschio Angioino, hit by nine cholera epidemics between 1835 and 1883, required immediate interventions to improve hygiene and safety conditions.
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Similarities and differences between the Gallery of Naples and the Gallery of Milan
Starting fromarchitecturethe Milan gallery represents an example of neo-Renaissance style, created under the guidance of Giuseppe Mengoni from Bologna. In contrast, the Galleria Umberto I in Naples blends elements of the Umbertine style with the proto-libertythe result of the collaboration of the architects Emmanuele Rocco, Antonio Curri and Ernesto di Mauro.
There iron and glass roofwas instead conceived by Francesco Paolo Boubèe, a well-known architect both in Italy and in France, inspired by the designs of the Crystal Palace in New York.
The differences between the two galleries also emerge from the dimensions: the Naples Gallery reaches a height of 57 meters at the highest point of the dome, with a length of 147 meters and a width of 15 meters.
The copposite Milanand, instead, she is slightly shorter, with hers 47 meters highbut longer, extending for approximately 197 meters.
However, the differences are not just limited to size. Over time, various interventions of restoration were carried out both on the facades and on the floors of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, while the Naples Gallery is in less optimal conditions: the flooring shows signs of wear and cracks in various places, the facades have only been partially restored and with different color tones, and several shops are vacant, with their shutters down and in a state of decay.
Me too’lighting it is different from the one installed in Milan, where the tunnel benefits from optimal conditions thanks to the recent ones renovation works carried out for Expo 2015. Furthermore, in the city of Milan, great attention was also paid to aesthetic coherence of commercial activity signs present in the gallery, uniform and well maintained, with golden characters on a black background, which contribute to improving the overall harmony of the structure.
In Naples, however, similar indications for visual homogeneity are lacking.
