Palazzo Pirelli

Standing 127.10 meters tall, the Palazzo Pirelli “skyscraper” was designed by architect Gio Ponti and inaugurated in 1960. Additionally, until just a few years ago it was the highest building in Milan. Although today even higher buildings are going up in the city, the “Pirellone”, as it is commonly called by the people of Milan, is probably the city’s most prestigious example of post-war architecture.

Insider information: to respect the tradition whereby no building in Milan can be higher than the famed golden Madonnina on the Duomo (standing at a height of approx. 109 meters), another golden Madonnina, a miniature copy of its better-known counterpart (85cm vs. the 4.16 metres of the original statue), was placed on the roof of the Palazzo Pirelli.