Flanking its left side is the Royal Palace, now a house for traveling international art exhibitions. To the cathedral’s right is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a neoclassical design topped with a crossed ceiling of glass and cast iron, and one of the world’s oldest shopping malls. Locals and tourists stroll along its marble floor, peeking in boutique windows, while others stop for an espresso or gelato in one of its many eateries.
