Il Centro Arese: shopping at Italy's largest shopping mall
Over 200 stores, 35 restaurants, and a huge wooden roof: Il Centro near Milan is shopping in XXL format
Il Centro (Arese/IT)
If you want to spend a whole day shopping during your holiday on Lake Maggiore, you’ll find a destination of superlatives just under 1¼ hours from Lakeview Cannobio: Il Centro in Arese, northwest of Milan. When it opened in April 2016, it was introduced as Italy’s largest shopping mall, and it remains one of the largest shopping centers in Europe to this day. Across roughly 93,000 square meters, you’ll find more than 200 stores, 35 restaurants and bars, and a large supermarket. The mall is open daily from 9 AM to 10 PM, including Sundays, making it a great destination for a rainy day or a day off from the beach.
Il Centro at a glance
- Location: Via Luraghi 11, Arese near Milan (Lombardy, Italy)
- From Cannobio: about 1¼ hours by car, motorway exit Lainate/Arese on the A8
- Open: daily 9 AM to 10 PM, Iper supermarket from 8 AM on weekdays
- Offering: over 200 stores, 35 restaurants and bars
- Parking: over 10,000 free parking spaces
- For children: three free play areas and a baby room
- Combo tip: Alfa Romeo Museum right next door, Milan and Aero Gravity nearby
From Alfa Romeo factory to shopping town
Il Centro stands on historic ground. Alfa Romeo built one of its major factories on the site in Arese starting in the 1960s. In the 1990s, the Italian retail group Finiper bought parts of the area and later had the shopping mall built there. Architect Davide Padoa of Design International summed it up at the opening: a factory for cars had become a factory for experiences. Traces of the automotive history are still visible today: the Alfa Romeo Museum sits right next door, and the factory’s former test track, “La Pista,” now hosts driving safety courses and car-related events.
Architecturally, Il Centro is no ordinary box. It was designed in part by the renowned Italian architect Michele De Lucchi, inspired by the old courtyards of Lombardy. Instead of long corridors, several squares are strung together, each with its own character. Spanning it all is a roof made of glued laminated timber with beams roughly 40 meters long, one of the largest wooden structures ever built for a shopping mall in Europe. Translucent panels let in plenty of daylight while keeping the heat out. Il Centro has won several awards for its concept, including Best New Shopping Centre at the 2016 MAPIC Awards and the Prix Versailles in 2017.
Stores and brands
With over 200 stores, there’s so much on offer that you’ll hardly see it all in one day. Fashion and footwear take center stage: Zara, H&M, Primark, Mango, Bershka, Pull&Bear, OVS, and Kiabi are represented alongside Levi’s, Guess, Calvin Klein Jeans, Tommy Jeans, Armani Exchange, Desigual, and Abercrombie & Fitch. It gets sporty at Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Vans, Timberland, The North Face, Foot Locker, and JD Sports. For jewelry and accessories, there’s Pandora and Swarovski, and for lingerie, Calzedonia, Intimissimi, and Victoria’s Secret.
If you’re after cosmetics, you’ll find Sephora, Douglas, MAC, Kiko, Lush, and Bath & Body Works. For electronics, there’s MediaWorld, a Samsung Experience Store, and an Apple Premium Reseller, plus toys at Lego and books at the Mondadori Megastore. For kitchen and home, check out Zara Home, Bialetti, or Nespresso. And if you still need groceries for your holiday apartment or mobile home, you can do your weekly shop at the large Iper supermarket, part of the mall.
Food and breaks
With 35 restaurants and bars, nobody has to shop on an empty stomach. Italian cuisine is well represented, with Dispensa Emilia, La Piadineria, Roman-style pizza at Rom’Antica, or wine and small dishes at Signorvino and Ventisette. For a coffee break, there’s Illy, Starbucks, and Portello Caffè, and for something sweet, Lindt, Cioccolatitaliani, and several ice cream parlors. If you prefer international fare, choose between poke, sushi, dim sum, South American cuisine, burgers, and the well-known fast-food chains. Like the mall itself, the restaurants in the food area are open until 10 PM, while those with their own outside entrance stay open until 11:30 PM, so you can round off your shopping day with dinner.
At Il Centro with children
Il Centro is family-friendly. There are three free play areas, two outdoors and one indoors that can be used in any weather. For the little ones, there’s a baby room with a changing table, nursing chairs, and a microwave, and you can get spare diapers at the info point by entrance 2. Still, the long distances shouldn’t be underestimated: plan plenty of breaks with children and agree on a meeting point in case you get separated.
Getting there from Cannobio and parking
By car, drive along the lake via Verbania to Gravellona Toce, then take the A26 and A8 motorways toward Milan to the Lainate/Arese exit. The drive takes about 1¼ hours. There’s no need to worry about parking: over 10,000 spaces are available free of charge, and a guidance system shows free spots in every row. Charging stations are available for electric cars, along with a Tesla Supercharger at the Iper petrol station.
Getting to Il Centro without a car
Without a car, getting there from Cannobio is considerably more involved. The train line from Verbania to Milan stops at Rho Fiera station, from where bus 561 runs daily to the shopping mall. There’s also a shuttle bus from Milan Central Station and from Milano Cadorna, which takes about 50 minutes to reach Il Centro and must be booked online. For guests from Cannobio, though, driving remains the simplest option.
Good to know
Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the mall, you can charge your phone at the charging stations in the food area, and at the info point you can borrow a power bank by showing ID. Electric mobility scooters are available for guests with reduced mobility. Guests residing outside the EU, for example from Switzerland, can claim back VAT through Tax Free Shopping. Many stores also offer Click & Collect, and Il Centro’s gift card can be used to pay at all stores and restaurants.
Combining your trip
Il Centro is so conveniently located that a shopping day pairs well with other destinations:
- Alfa Romeo Museum: Right next door, the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo tells the story of the brand. The museum opened in 1976 and reopened in June 2015 after renovation. The “Museo Alfa Romeo” bus stop is only about 300 meters from the shopping center. For all information on the exhibition, admission, and guided tours, see our article on the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese.
- Milan: The city center isn’t far at all. If you’d like to combine shopping with the Duomo, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and the Navigli, you’ll find all our tips in our article on a day trip to Milan.
- Aero Gravity: Just a few kilometers away, next to the Rho fairgrounds in Pero, stands one of the largest vertical wind tunnels in the world. At indoor skydiving with Aero Gravity, even kids from age 4 can fly, a great reward for anyone who was patient while shopping.
How to Plan Your Day
It’s quietest on weekday mornings. If you set off after breakfast in Cannobio, you’ll arrive around 10 AM, shop at your leisure, and have lunch at one of the squares. In the afternoon, there’s still time for the Alfa Romeo Museum or a flight at Aero Gravity. On weekends, Il Centro is a popular destination for Milanese locals, so it gets noticeably busier.
Our Conclusion
Il Centro isn’t an outlet, but a huge shopping mall with regular prices, offering an enormous selection, long opening hours, and plenty of space to take a break. It’s well worth the trip for a rainy day, an extended shopping day, or combined with Milan and the Alfa Romeo Museum. If you’re after outlet prices instead, head to the Vicolungo Outlet or the Foxtown Outlet in Mendrisio. You’ll find all stores, opening hours, and current promotions directly on the Il Centro website.
After your shopping day, the lake awaits you again in about 1¼ hours. With us in Cannobio, you can stay in a mobile home on Lake Maggiore, a holiday apartment in Cannobio, or on a pitch on Lake Maggiore.
Insider tips from locals
To make your trip extra special:
- We recommend going on a weekday. It gets noticeably busier on weekends.
- Remember your entrance number, with over 10,000 parking spaces, finding your car again can otherwise be tricky.
- With children, we recommend ending the day with a flight at Aero Gravity.
- Guests from Switzerland should ask about Tax Free Shopping and claim back their VAT.
Questions and answers
Il Centro in Arese near Milan is one of the largest shopping malls in Europe, and when it opened in 2016 it was introduced as the largest in Italy. Spanning roughly 93,000 square meters, it has over 200 stores and 35 restaurants and bars.