Milan Stock Exchange & Piazza Affari
Piazza Affari, the truest business square in Milan, is the venue of Milan Stock Exchange. It hosts Palazzo Mezzanotte, also known as the stock exchange venue. Specifically designed as the Milan venue for stock trading by architect Paolo Mezzanotte, the building has been hosting the Milan Stock Exchange since 1932.
The first stock trading centre in Milan was established in 1808 and based within the premises of Monte di Pietà. On October 30, 1809 it was moved to Palazzo dei Giureconsulti located in Piazza dei Mercanti (meaning “merchant square”). Early in the 20th century, architect Luigi Broggi built the new stock exchange building at Piazza Cordusio. Aiming at gathering all stock trading markets in the town, the District Trade Council purchased Palazzo Turati and the area between Via Meravigli and Piazza San Vittore in December 1925. In 1927 architect Paolo Mezzanotte started the survey for building the new stock exchange palace in Cordusio area. The building site opened in August 1929. A business building and two shopping arcades were demolished whilst Palazzo Turati and Galleria Buffoni were held in place. While excavating, the remains of a huge Roman theatre complex were found which slowed down the construction works. A marble plaque was fitted showing the layout of the Roman remains under the building.
The plaque showing the remains of a Roman theatre
A true state-of-the-art building spreading over 6450m², Palazzo Mezzanotte opened in October 1932. The building was equipped with an automatically-controlled lift system (the first ever installed), an air conditioning system based on water and steam, and also an illuminated screen (the largest existing in Italy at that time) enabling for real-time trading of the 78 stocks listed in Milan Stock Exchange. The astounding 36m high façade, made up of blocks of travertine, reflects the style of the age combined with a classical scheme. It incorporates works sculptured by Leone Lodi and Germignano Cibau. The most important hall inside the building is the so-called “sala delle grida”, the trading floor where brokers used to trade stocks by open outcry, illumined from top through an impressive velarium showing the roof of heaven and its constellations.