The palazzo that plays host to the Museo Poldi Pezzoli is located on the first section of Via Manzoni (the street originally known as the “Corsia del Giardino” or Garden Boulevard). This part of the city is home to numerous historic residences that belonged to the Milanese aristocracy, with a plethora of stunning 18th-century buildings to be savoured. For example, a visit to the Gallerie d’Italia (Galleries of Italy) – the museum that displays the works of the Intesa San Paolo banking group – takes in Palazzo Brentani and Palazzo Anguissola, which are linked internally by a wholly unexpected garden. Providing the frame of reference from the whole area is undoubtedly the Teatro alla Scala, one of the most celebrated cultural institutions to be found anywhere: from the Museo Teatrale (Theatre Museum) you can walk through the elegant foyer and look out from one of the boxes onto the spectacular main space. Close by, you will find Piazza San Fedele, a peaceful oasis nestling between the rear of Palazzo Marino and the attractive Church of San Fedele, which houses contemporary art installations, and to which the San Fedele Cultural Center and the Gallery are connected. In the immediate vicinity are some bona fide Milanese institutions: the Pettinaroli stationery shop and printing press, the Hoepli Bookstore and, towards the Cathedral, Via Santa Radegonda, with its myriad street-food options.
