Parco Sempione

View of Parco Sempione, with the Sforza Castle in the background

Parco Sempione ("Simplon Park") is a large city park in Milan, Italy. Established in 1888, it has an overall area of 386,000 m², and it is located in the historic centre of the city, inside the Zone 1 administrative division.

The park is adjacent to the gardens of the Sforza Castle and to the Arch of Peace, two of the main landmarks of Milan. The very design of the park, due to architect Emilio Alemagna, was conceived with the intent of creating panoramic views encompassing both monuments. A third prominent monument of Parco Sempione is the Palazzo dell'Arte ("Palace of Art"), built in 1933 and designed by Giovanni Muzio, which currently houses the Triennale di Milano art expo.

In the park are Arena Civica, the public aquarium, and the Torre Branca tower. The X Triennial Pavilion (1954) has been converted into a public library.

Toponomy

It owes its name to Corso Sempione, a major thoroughfare of Milan, dating back to the Napoleonic Empire.

Sculptures

The park hosts permanent sculptures by Arman, Francesco Barzaghi, Giorgio de Chirico and Antonio Paradiso. Teatro Continuo (1973), a prominent sculpture by Alberto Burri, was dismantled in 1989. It was restored and repositioned in its original location on the occasion of Expo 2015.

Communications

The whole area of the park is covered by a free wireless network.

View of the park with the Arch of Peace in the background.