Porta Tosa was the eastern gate of the Spanish walls of Milan, dating back to the 16th century.

In 1881, Giuseppe Grandi designed a monument with a bronze obelisk to be placed in the square where the gate used to be; it was inaugurated on 18 March 1895.

Most streets, avenues, and square in the district are named after heroes and prominent events of the Milanese Risorgimento and the Five Days.

A large avenue crossing Piazza Cinque Giornate in east-west direction is called Corso di Porta Vittoria to the west and Corso 22 Marzo to the west.

In the north-south direction, the Piazza is crossed by one of the main ring roads of Milan, the Circonvallazione Interna ("inner ringroad", as opposed to the Circonvallazione Esterna, the "outer ringroad" which embraces a much wider area).