After the obligatory visit to Piero Portaluppi’s Villa Necchi on via Mozart 14 (see our Portaluppi Itinerary for more info), take a stroll on the surrounding streets to experience one of Milan’s most exclusive and entrancing neighborhoods, in this guide from Noemi Bonazzi.

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Casa Berri Meregalli
Via Barozzi 7

One of the first rental properties to be built in Milan for the rising bourgeoisie, circa 1911, this structure is located in the area behind Corso Venezia, which was, and still is, the epicenter of elegant and sumptuous apartment buildings situated on quiet streets with vast gardens in back that are barely visible from the street.
 

Ca’dell’Oreggia 
Via Serbelloni 10

Completed in 1927 by architect Aldo Andreani, this wedge-shaped apartment complex—colloquial Milanese for "Ear House"—is sited at the corner of two streets and features two entrances. Near the smaller of the two is one of the first-ever intercom systems installed in the country: a bronze sculpture by Adolfo Wildt in the shape of an ear.
 

Palazzo Fidia
Via Melegari 2, angolo via Mozart

This highly eclectic 1930 project, also by Andreani, uses exposed brick and cement to create a long corner facade that is asymmetrical and idiosyncratic. Reviled by the Milanese at the time of its construction, it is now a beloved landmark, bizarre and mysterious with its bow windows and miniature marble balconies.
 

Palazzo Berri Meregalli
Via Cappuccini 8

Not to be confused with the Casa Beri Meregalli on via Barozzi, the Palazzo Berri Meregalli, designed by architect Giulio Ulisse Arata in 1914, is a late example of the Milanese Liberty style: a wild mix of Romanesque Revival (characterized by bricks and arches) and romantic influences (such as putti, strange zoomorphic figures and other various animals). Just about every material is present: mosaic, stone, wrought iron, exposed brick, glass work. In the lobby is the Adolfo Wildt sculpture, Winged Victory. Wildt, a Swiss-Italian artist and later a teacher of Lucio Fontana and Fausto Melotti, was heavily influenced by Art Nouveau and Secession. If you're polite, the friendly portinaio, or doorman, will let you examine the wondrous and unexpected lobby.