Milano Ristorazione

Located in Milan’s Zone 2 is one of the first fish markets in the city. It resides in a historic neighborhood formerly known for its small shops which sold traditional Milanese products. Today, Milano Ristorazione houses a ‘Taste & Health Center” for one of the city’s largest municipal catering supply operations.

In the Middle Ages, the landlocked city of Milan became an ideal location for a center of commerce in northern Italy due to the vast network of canals converging from all over the Po River valley. At one time, Milan was among the largest ports in Italy in terms of tons of cargo loaded and unloaded.

The development of Zone 2 was largely influenced by its location on important routes leading from Milan to major nearby settlements. This ultimately led to wholesale fish markets setting up shop near the city’s center with the first fish market erected in 1934.

Milano Ristorazione changed hands over time and became a factory in the mid-20th century until it was eventually abandoned. It was not until 2004 that the structure was commissioned to undergo a six year refurbishment.

In 2010, Milano Ristorazione SpA, a company of the Municipality of Milan, which has been supplying catering services to many schools in the city since 2001, opened the center as an educational facility and a commercial location to facilitate the preparation of meals for Milanese school children.