Only in front of the theater ran a narrow road with a portico under which carriages passed. In 1857, Emperor Franz Joseph ordered the demolition of the buildings to create an open space in front of the opera house. The result was La Scala Square, which opened in 1865 (two years later the famous Victor Emmanuel II Gallery was built).
Today, in front of the palace’s façade stretches the square, where a statue of Leonardo da Vinci stands.
