Via Monte Napoleone winds through the heart of Milan, a stone's throw from the Duomo and the Teatro alla Scala, a prestigious destination for those who love excellence and haute couture. Together with Fifth Avenue in New York, Causeway Bay in Hong Kong and the Champs Élysées in Paris, the famous street of the Milanese city is one of the most popular shopping destinations in the world.
Among the shop windows and historical bastions of a Milan of the past, for more than half a century the elegance of Via Monte Napoleone - or, simply, Monte Napoleone - has fascinated regulars, passers-by and onlookers, confirming itself as one of the undisputed symbols of the fashion capital .
Via Monte Napoleone in Milan: a journey through time
The origins of via Monte Napoleone, in reality, date back to the dawn of time.
In Roman times this road followed the route of the city walls. In the Middle Ages it took the name of Contrada di Sant'Andrea: where boutiques and showrooms are today, cloisters and convents were built, with their flourishing green gardens.
In the eighteenth century the aristocracy, which at the time owned most of the Milanese territories, took control of the district and in 1783 founded the Monte Camerale di Santa Teresa in what is now Via Monte Napoleone. The financial institution, which was responsible for managing public debt, was named after Maria Theresa of Austria, reigning duchess of Milan.
In 1804 Milan became the capital of the Napoleonic Italian Republic and, on that occasion, the bank was renamed Monte Napoleone. The street was the scene of the clashes of the Five Days of Milan, the insurrection of the Milanese against the Austrian troops which led to the liberation of the city, while recognition as one of the most renowned shopping streets in the world came in the 1950s.
Illustrious people such as the poets Carlo Porta and Tommaso Grossi lived in the buildings on via Monte Napoleone and it seems that Giuseppe Verdi wrote Nabucco right in his home on via Monte Napoleone.
Not just 5-star shopping: walking along Via Monte Napoleone you can relive the atmosphere of a Milan of the past thanks to the historical architecture that follows one another on one side of the street and the other. Palazzo Carcassola Grandi, Palazzo Vidiserti Dozzio, Palazzo Melzi di Cusano, Palazzo Gavazzi are just some of the splendid buildings that can be admired while taking a walk to discover the historical testimonies housed in this street.
The beating heart of the fashion district in Milan
Via Monte Napoleone, together with Via Manzoni, Via della Spiga and Corso Venezia, frames the so-called fashion quadrilateral , the district full of ready-to-wear shops, elegant cafés and showrooms, a destination for visitors and buyers from all over the globe.
The most acclaimed brands can count on a boutique in this street: the shops on Via Monte Napoleone display wonderful shop windows with the latest arrivals and cult pieces of the season, anticipating trends and describing that elegant and sophisticated taste that makes Milanese fashion a vibrant source of inspiration that enchants the world.
In a walk of about 450 meters there are the boutiques of Prada, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, Fendi, Versace, Saint Laurent, Valentino, just to name a few of the many brands that animate this refined street of the city with their selected offer of clothes, accessories, jewellery, high quality leather goods and footwear.
Rolex boutique in via Monte Napoleone: where excellence reigns
The Rolex Boutique is located at number 24 in Via Monte Napoleone, the brand's first single-brand store in Italy and a point of reference for those who have chosen, or wish to choose, the quality of high-end Swiss watchmaking.
As an authorized Rolex retailer with the widest assortment of models and a certified assistance center , the Boutique has three hundred square meters on three recently renovated levels that welcome customers to offer an all-round service.
In the Rolex Boutique laboratory, a team of highly specialized technicians takes care of the watch, verifies its authenticity and carries out the overhaul following the high standards of the brand to restore it to its original splendor, offering 360° consultancy and technical assistance.
Crossing the threshold of the single-brand boutique on Via Monte Napoleone means treating yourself to the authentic Rolex experience, a journey into the beauty of manufacturing excellence.
