A few weeks ago, my wife and I traveled to a few cities in northern Italy. It was a fabulous vacation, and I cannot wait to see more of that amazing country. During parts of our trip, we visited some of the more popular areas, and because Apple likes to put Apple Stores in well-trafficked areas, that meant that we happened upon some Apple Stores. For those of you who don't regularly visit Apple Stores in Italy, here is some of what you are missing. And if you do plan to visit these stores, I have some recommendations for you in this post.
Milan
Apple has a few stores in Milan, Italy, but the most impressive is the flagship store at Piazza Liberty that opened to much fanfare in 2018. The store has similarities to Apple's iconic New York Fifth Avenue Store: a glass structure at street level next to a public area with the store itself underground.
Next to the glass entrance is a tiered public area—the "piazza" in "Piazza Liberty"—perfect for concerts or other public performances.
When I was there, they were packing up some equipment from one of the LGBTQ+ Pride Month "Love is Love" celebrations.
As you walk down the steps to the underground store, you see a wide open space with Apple's traditional tables and product displays.
The store features a huge screen for software demonstrations as part of the Today at Apple series.
Because the store is under the tiered piazza, natural light can enter the store from between the tiers.
It is a beautiful and impressive Apple Store. And like many of Apple's flagship stores, it contributes to and is a part of the surrounding community.
The Apple Store Piazza Liberty is a very short walk from the huge and impressive Duomo in Milan, a cathedral that took six centuries to build, from 1386 to 1965, and is one of the largest in the world.
The Milan Duomo is one of the most amazing buildings that I have ever seen, and I recommend putting it on your bucket list of places to see. There are 1,000 statues outside and another 2,000 inside. There are fifty-two 100-foot tall pillars representing the weeks of the year. It was built to hold 40,000 worshipers, which was the population of Milan when construction began. And the roof—which was not originally intended for public viewing—is as impressive as the inside of the cathedral. If you find yourself at the Apple Store in Milan, you should definitely visit the Duomo as well, which looks just as impressive during the day as it does at night.
How should you relax and take a break after visiting the Milan Duomo? I'm glad you asked. Next to the the Piazza del Duomo (the large area in front of the cathedral), and at the front of the Galleria high-end shopping center, you will find Camparino. This bar opened in 1915 and has been voted one of the best bars in the world. Featured cocktails include the Campari Spritz and the Aperol Spritz. I personally prefer the Aperol Spritz, but I enjoyed them both. This is a great place to people-watch all of the tourists visiting the Duomo and shopping at the luxury stores.
As you enjoy your cocktail, you can savor the yummy and generous snacks that they bring you with a drink order. I'm not sure if they do this all day long or just as a part of the Italian tradition of aperitivo. Apertivo is normally just for the hour or two before dinner, and we were there at 3pm. Whatever the reason, the drinks and snacks were great, and if I find myself back in Milan, I will go back.
Bologna
If you visit Bologna, Italy—a city with some of the best food that I have ever tasted—you will surely see the Two Towers, a symbol of the city. Like that more famous tower in Italy, at least one of these towers is definitely leaning.
As you approach the Two Towers in Bologna, you will walk next to the Apple Store Via Rizzoli.
This is a traditional Apple Store, so it lacks the fancy features of a flagship store like the Apple Store Piazza Liberty in Milan.
Although this specific Apple store is nothing special on its own, it is interesting to see the latest technology from Apple right here in the old part of Bologna. This part of town includes the University of Bologna, which is the oldest university in continuous operation in the entire world, founded in 1088. Just think of how much more productive the students could have been back in 1088 with an iPad and an Apple Pencil. Although I guess that there wasn't much Wi-Fi at the time.
Parma
Just like in America, there are some places in Italy that may be too small to support an Apple Store, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a need for Apple technology. When I visited Parma, Italy—part of a delightful tour of the places where Parmesan cheese and prosciutto di Parma are made—I walked past an Apple premium reseller that calls itself Juice. This store copies some of the look-and-feel of a traditional Apple Store.
