Matteo from Milan

About Me Ciao! I’m Matteo, a Milanese explorer with a knack for uncovering the unexpected and an insatiable curiosity about the world around me. Born and raised in Milan, I’m easy-going yet always seeking that next unforgettable moment, whether it’s tucked away in a quiet piazza, caught in the buzz of an open-air market, or found on some wild adventure far from home. I’m ...

Aug 4, 2025

Palazzo della Ragione's colonade Milan

Talking stones

""Palazzo della Ragione's colonade" is one of the places in Milan I really love to show friends and visitors to see their reaction. Great acoustic effect..."

This is one of the places I really love to show friends and visitors for the reaction of those who accompanied me. The porch of the "Palazzo della Ragione" in Milan, besides hosting the Scrofa "semilanuta" (sow) bas relief in one of its columns, offers an absolutely extraordinary acoustic effect.

Inside the colonnade, with your faces turned toward the column that is at the outer corner of the building towards the Cathedral, you can talk to other people who are standing diagonally to the first quadrilateral of columns, also facing the inner wall of this column. It reminds me of "Chinese whispers" and makes me feel like a little boy, but it's also architecturally really interesting.

Also, there's another story. The sow "semilanuta" is a mythical animal, a symbol of the city of Milan before the municipal age. Legend says that the founder of Milan was the Celtic Belloveso, who crossed the Alps and the territory of the Aedui to get to the Po Valley. Belloveso saw the place indicated by a goddess in a dream, a sow boar that had the distinction of having very long hair on the front of the body (sow semilanuta). The Celtic boss therefore decided to build his city in that place and to call that "semilanuta", Mediolanum (medium-lanum).

The square next it is called "Piazza dei Mercanti" where "mercanti" means "merchants".
In fact, that was the old market. A place full of history.

Art & culture

About this spot

Oiazza dei Mercanti

€

free

find your way in Milan, download our app.

Find your way with 195 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters

Discover hidden gems and all our locals’ favourites! Get full access to our Milan guide.

Nice place right!? There’s so much more to discover:

Discover all other hidden gems in Milan

Viro Steak

Meat Restaurant

At Viro Steak in Porta Venezia, expect a sultry atmosphere, a dry-aging chamber on display, fair prices, and cuts sold by the kilo. Prepare for a feast!

Restaurants

Dimitra

Parlapani

Sep 1, 2025

Il Santo

Lunch on the go

Fuel your Porta Nuova stroll with focaccia — quick, local, and delicious. A favorite lunch stop with outdoor tables and top-quality Italian flavors.

Snacks

Dimitra

Parlapani

Sep 1, 2025

Pinacoteca Ambrosiana

Museum & Library

The Ambrosiana near San Sepolcro is one of Europe’s oldest libraries, home to da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus, Raphael’s School of Athens, and many more treasures.

Art & culture

Dimitra

Parlapani

Sep 1, 2025

I Mirador

Rooftop Bar

I Mirador offers breathtaking views of Milan from Navigli. Enjoy beautiful sunsets, excellent cocktails, and make this rooftop a place to remember!

Bars

Dimitra

Parlapani

Sep 1, 2025

Gelateria Gelart

Ice cream shop

Gelart serves creamy, dreamy gelato with classic & seasonal flavors. Do yourself a favor and try their incredible seasonal flavors!

Snacks

Dimitra

Parlapani

Sep 1, 2025

Parco Nord

Milan's green hub

Enjoy Milan's main green escape, Parco Nord, with its lakes, forests and fields to bike, stroll, relax, or catch weekend markets, events & hidden spots.

Relaxing

Dimitra

Parlapani

Sep 1, 2025

Teatro alla Scala

Opera & Museum

Step into Milan’s Teatro alla Scala and adore its historic glamour, live performances, backstage stories, and a timeless magic that stays with you forever.

Art & culture