According to the CTI guide, the Pavilion of Festivals and Concerts was one of the largest buildings of the Fair. It was connected to the Pavilion of Music. These buildings hosted the Electricity Hall, the Display of the Marvels of Electricity, the exhibit of Professional Teaching, and the Swiss Exhibition. The facades of these interconnected buildings were admirable for their elegant proportions and the richness of architectural detail. Among the decorations, the Guida Tricolore mentions two fountains with a statue of Neptune created by Cellini, a group of allegorical statues symbolizing music made by Michelangelo Monti, and the remarkable sculptures created by sculptors Biscarra and Bianconi. The interior featured the grand "Salone dei Concerti" (Concert Hall) built like an Olympic theater that could hold up to 9,000 people.

Strategically placed at the gateway to the Italian peninsula, Milan and the surrounding region of Lombardy have been the subject of constant disputes over the centuries. Celts, Romans, Goths, Lombards, Spaniards and Austrians have all ruled the city at some stage of its history and for the most part, the city has capitalised on its position and has emerged today as the undisputed economic and cultural powerhouse of a united Italy. (from: http://www.aboutmilan.com/history-of-milan.html)

The city of Turin is a major city - as well as a business and cultural center - located in Northwest Italy in the region called "Piemonte" (literally, "at the feet of the mountain"). Turin used to be (and it still is) a major European political center and home to the House of Savoy, Italy's Royal family. It was Italy's first capital city in 1861 until 1864, when the Rome took its role.