The list of favourite spots around the green areas of the Milano brought me to Torre Branca, located in the north-east part of Parco Sempione.
The 108,6 m high tower was designed by architect Gio Ponti and was open to public back in 1933 as part of the Triennale art museum. The official name back in time was Torre Littoria
The urban gossip says that Mussolini ordered to built the tower a bit lower than the highest point of Duomo di Milano – la Madonnina, because the human should not be higher than than the divine.
In 1970s the torre was closed for technical reasons. In 1980s the liquor producing company Distillerie Fratelli Branca supported financially the the restoration so the tower was soon named Torre Branca.
It costs 5 euro and it takes less than 2 minutes to get the spectacular view towards the constantly changing landscape of the city of Milan.
The eyes wander from the green carpet of Parco Sempione towards the changing cityscape of the city including the Pirellone and the Palazzo Lombardia. Once you turn south there is the marvellous silhouette of Duomo di Milano, the shining Cupola of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and the medieval-like Torre Velasca.
We got up in a typical for Milano hazy day of March, accompanied by short pieces of history narrated by our host. In the first second I got quite disappointed seeing the skyline getting lost in the mist, but once facing the central part and noticing Duomo di Milano like a mystical exquisite castle in the sand I forgot my worries of not being able to see much.
For the best view, go climb the tower in the late afternoon to see the city cover in golden light.
I bagni misteriosi
Once down do not miss to enjoy the peculiar I bagni misteriosi (1973), The Mysterious Baths, an artwork by Giorgio de Chirico. A representative of the scuola metafisica, which influenced later the surrealists, de Chirico created the monument of the Mysterious Baths for an exhibition back then: in a colourful strangely shaped basin, two swimmers are taking bath, surrounded by a tramplin, a changing room, a ball, swan..
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