Parco Sempione

Parco Sempione
A decorated stone arch seen from a distance through a vista with lawns and trees on the side. A metal fence is in the foregound
View through the park to the Arch of Peace from Piazza del Cannone, 2016
Parco Sempione is located in Milan
Parco Sempione
TypePublic
LocationZone 1, Milan, Italy
Coordinates45°28′24.25″N 9°10′31.55″E / 45.4734028°N 9.1754306°E / 45.4734028; 9.1754306
Area38.6 hectares (95 acres)
Created1888
Operated byComune di Milano
OpenOpens 6:30 a.m. year round; closes 9 p.m. October–April, 9:30 p.m. in May and 10 p.m. June–September

Parco Sempione ("Simplon Park") is a large city park in the historic center of Milan, region of Lombardy, Italy. Established in 1888, and designed by Emilio Alemagna, it has an overall area of 38.6 hectares (95 acres), and it is located inside the Zone 1 administrative division.

The vaguely polygonal park is anchored to the southeast by grounds of the Sforza Castle and a linear axis leads in the northwest to the Arch of Peace. The perpendicular axis to these two landmarks is flanked on the northeast by the oval Arena Civica and in the southwest by the Palazzo dell'Arte ("Palace of Art"), built in 1933 to house the Fifth Triennale di Milano art and design exposition, and now a permanent museum, theater, and exhibition hall. Contemporary and near the Palazzo dell'Arte is the steel tower-spire Torre Branca, designed in 1933 by Gio Ponti as Tower Littoria (Lictor's Tower). Near the Arena, stands the public aquarium.