Galleria Umberto I

Naples’ answer to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan was not built for luxury shopping, but for public health.

In the late 1800s cholera epidemics swept through Naples, ravaging the seaport famous for foul smells and overcrowded neighborhoods. The newly unified Italy responded with the risanamento, or “making healthy again.” The makeover gave Naples wider avenues, public spaces, and its cornerstone, the Galleria Umberto I.

Look up and the four arms of Gallerria disappear into the 57 meter tall glass dome held up by sixteen metal ribs. Look down and you’ll see engraved in the floor the city’s famous zodiac mosaic, with all twelve signs dancing around a rose compass. Step outside and you’ll arrive at the Teatro di San Carlo, the oldest continuously active opera house in the world.

The Galleria is Naples’ living room, where tourists can enjoy espressos, shopping, and people-watching. Not a bad prescription for a city that needed a little medicine.