Of course, we couldn't stay in Milan without paying a visit to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy's oldest shopping arcade. Right next door to Duomo di Milano, the arcade is home to a multitude of luxury fashion brands and restaurants, including some - like Biffi Caffè and Borsalino hat shop - that have been there since the 19th century.

It's an impressive building. It reminds me a lot of Dubrovnik old town, in that there are strict rules around signage - shops must stick to gold lettering on black backgrounds - that help maintain an authentic luxury aesthetic.

Its local nickname is "Salotto di Milano" (Milan's Living Room), as it was the city's first social hub, and took 12 years to construct. Tragically, the architect, Giuseppe Mengoni, never got to see it completed, as he fell from the dome just before its inauguration in 1877.

These photographs were taken with the Sony A7R V, the Sony FE 35mm f/1.4 GM and the magnificent Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM, and not forgoetting my trusty Kase Wolverine circular polariser.

Equipment used

Camera

Sony A7R V

Lenses

Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM

 

Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM

Filters

Kase Wolverine Magnetic

About the photographer

I'm Alex Nichol. I'm an amateur photographer from the North of England. For me, photography is a way to share what I love most about the world. That includes everything, from family and friends, to wild animals and breathtaking places... or maybe just how the sun twinkles on a weed in my back garden. It's all fair game.

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