Via Montenapoleone

Via Montenapoleone, Via Della Spiga and Via Sant'Andrea form the so-called Quadrilatero della Moda, the Milan fashion district.

Montenapoleone district takes its name from Monte di Pietà (a charity institution the aim of which was to lend money at a low-interest to people in need) which was located at 12 via Montenapoleone. During the Cisalpine Republic period, this institution changed its name into Montenapoleone in honour of the then French First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and the street was named after it. The home of luxurious boutiques and showrooms of top Italian and international fashion brands including Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dior etc., it forms the Quadrilatero della moda, the Milan fashion district, along with its side & parallel roads (Via della Spiga, Via Sant'Andrea and Via Pietro Verri). The street has been associated to the Milanese middle-class hectic lifestyle, as it happens in Carlo Vanzina’s movie (1987) where the yuppies are depicted sarcastically. Also a must-to-go for personal shoppers. In 2002 "The Luxury Media" project (including a radio and a portal) was launched in order to promote “made-in-Italy” products and anything trendy through Milan as the world’s  undisputed fashion capital. Under the aegis of Milan local Fashion & Tourism Department and leading fashion associations, such as Sistema Moda Italia and Assomoda, it is a primary tool for fostering and informing about the made-in-Italy range worldwide. Unlike via della Spiga which is mostly pedestrian, via Montenapoleone is open to car traffic and fitted with a walkway along both sides throughout its length. A one-way street, it has some traffic limitations which prevent cars from entering it by its ends. At the crossroad with Via Verri and Via Sant'Andrea, one can go to Corso Matteotti (to Piazza San Babila) or to Via Manzoni. In addition, due to Via Verri and Via Sant'Andrea position, cars can access by Via Verri only. To the NO direction, the street ends in a crossroad controlled by traffic lights – at Via Manzoni. Beyond the crossroad there is Via Croce Rossa, a fully pedestrian square with a fountain monument which has often received bitter judgements. There you’ll find the stairs to Montenapoleone underground station (Line 3).