Ride a 1933 Steel Lattice Above the Trees of Parco Sempione
You come upon it between the lawns and the plane trees of Parco Sempione: a slender steel frame, hexagonal in cross-section, tapering almost prismatically as it rises out of the park. This is Torre Branca, designed by architect Giò Ponti with engineers Cesare Chiodi and Ettore Ferrari, built entirely of special Dalmine steel tubes, flanged and bolted, and inaugurated in 1933 for the 5th Milan Triennial. Step into the modern lift — it carries five people at a time — and in just under a minute you are delivered to the covered belvedere at the top.
What You See From the Belvedere
The top of the tower is a panoramic point, and the view is the whole reason to come. On a clear day it may encompass the Milan cityline, the Alps, the Apennines and part of the Po Valley. The visit lasts approximately six to seven minutes — enough time to trace the city's outline, find the Duomo's Madonnina, and pick out the Lombardy plain stretching away beyond the suburbs. Bring a camera; the Wikivoyage guide to Milan singles out Torre Branca and the roof of the Duomo as the two places to go for good views of the city.
Know Before You Climb
- Where: Parco Sempione, Viale Luigi Camoens 2, beside the Triennale – Palazzo dell'Arte.
- Getting there: Metro M1 (red) and M2 (green) to Cadorna – Triennale; trams 1 and 10; bus 85.
- When: The tower keeps split hours — mid-morning and mid-afternoon slots on some days, with late-evening openings around 20:30–00:00 on others. It is closed on Mondays. Check the current timetable before you set out.
- Weather: The tower closes in bad weather or strong wind, so a clear, calm day is the one to aim for.
- Booking: Advance contact with the ticket office is recommended, and a combined ticket with the Duomo — including rooftop, museum and audioguide — is available.
- Access: Free admission on Wednesdays for school groups and retirees.
Ponti's Tower, Twice Renamed
The tower has had several lives. Inaugurated in 1933 during the Fascist era at the request of Benito Mussolini, who wanted a tower for Milan in the manner of the Eiffel Tower, it was first named "Torre Littoria." After the Second World War it became "Torre del Parco." Access to the top closed in 1972 when the structure needed restoring, and it stayed shut for three decades until the Fratelli Branca liquor company restored and reopened it to the public in 2002 — giving the tower the name it carries today. At its base now stands a restaurant and club, housed in a low modular metal structure with a glass roof, set below the tower's base so as not to interrupt the view of the monument or its alignment with the Palazzo dell'Arte, the Castello, the Arena and the Arco della Pace.
Make a Day of the Park
Torre Branca sits in Parco Sempione, the most visited of Milan's parks and home to the Sforzesco Castle, so the tower slots naturally into a walk. Approach from the Castello side, cross the park past the Arena and the Arco della Pace, and time your lift ride for the late-afternoon or evening opening, when the light softens over the city. Nearby, the Triennale – Palazzo dell'Arte keeps the thread of the tower's origins: it was built for the Triennial, and the Triennale still stands beside it. If you are in Milan in February–March or September–October, Fashion Week fills the city; if design is your interest, Salone del Mobile is the fair to plan around.
Torre Branca rewards a small slice of your day: a minute up, a few minutes at the top, and a view that reaches from the rooftops of Milan to the Alps. Check the hours, pick a clear day, and put it at the centre of a slow afternoon in Parco Sempione.