The bull of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

The bull of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. If you go to the Galleria in Milan you’ll always find someone observing the bull depicted on the floor.

The reason is simple: it brings good luck!

The Galleria, named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of the kingdom of Italy, is one of the symbols of the city since it was inaugurated, and for this reason it is nicknamed “il salotto di Milano” (Milan’s drawing room).

 When it was built, between 1865 and 1877, it was decided that the ground of the central octagonal space was decorated with four mosaics portraying the coats of arms of the three capitals of the kingdom of Italy: Rome, Florence, Turin and Milan’s: the she-wolf of Rome, the lily of Florence and the bull of Turin.
The bull of Turin is represented with big genitals, and soon people thought it brought good luck. In fact, men began to spin around three times with a heel on the testicles of the bull. In addition, women began to touch the testicles thinking that this gesture could improve fertility.

Unfortunately, the continuous pilgrimage of Milanese citizens and tourists searching for some good luck damaged that part of the bull: a hole developed on the place of the bull’s genitals.
However, the bull still attracts curious and superstitious people.