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Milan

We have arrived in Milan and we are staying at the Hotel Ariston.

The hotel is nice. The rooms are small and the elevators are even smaller. But they have AC which I really like for sleeping. Internet is an additional cost and that is a little upsetting. There is a typical Italian hotel style breakfast; cured meat, cheese, fruit, croissants, cereal in Italian, juice, caffe americano and cappuccino. Overall not bad.

One of the drawbacks of the hotel is that it is on a main street. This means that the noise level is high. During our stay they were doing construction on the trolley rails at 2am. Not the hotels fault, but the fault of location.

The first real day here is sunny and very warm. Our first stop is to the Roman Catholic Duomo di Milano. Made from brick with Candoglia marble, the Duomo is quite impressive. Many of Milans streets radiate out from this central location. Other streets circle this church. It definitely is the center of Milan and a great church. From what I have read, it was once the largest catheral ih the world.

The inside is also very impressive. Dark and cool it just opens up into a huge space. You could spend hours in there if you like Roman Catholic history. Most people snapped pictures, but a few were really there to mediate and pray. Note that when you go into these churches most require you to be covered up in some way. I'm not sure of the official rules, but we did see a few women turned away for open toe shoes and very short skirts. Something to keep in mind if you have your heart set on seeing the inside.

Below the apse (or alter) is a burial crypt.

One of the great features of this church is the ability to go up on the roof. There is a network of spires that rests on a flying buttresses type of architecture. All over the roof of this cathedral are sculptures. I'm sure they are representative of Catholic doctrine or historic Catholic figures.

Back on the ground, the cathedral's plaza is ringed by shops of all types. Food, gifts and the usual trinkets can be found here. One thing you'll notice is all the pigeons . They know that they'll get something to eat so they really have no fear. Some of them will barely move out of your way. But they are fun to watch on an evening stroll through the piazza.

As for food, everything in Italy is good, except the tourist traps. The local mom & pop restaurants are teaming with local flavor and wine. Even the worst of the meals I had were still good. Some places nicer than others. but overall most were good. Certainly during the day we would stop at the tourist oriented sidewalk caffes. Mostly for the Italian version of a sandwich, the panini. But at night wandering the back streets gave us the opportunity to find some wonderful places to eat.

Later in the day we decided to walk around and explore what surrounded the piazza a little more. One place we went to was Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. From what I read it was named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of united Italy. The Galleria Vittorio connects The Duomo and the Teatro Alla Scala (which we never had a chance to see). The streets are covered by a glass arch with a big dome in the middle. I thought it was nice to pass through it, but not much else. If you like Prada, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and stores like that then you will enjoy this shopping center.

I mentioned the food earlier because our first night there we needed to eat and decided on a pizza. Seems simple enough. After walking through Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II looking at all the shops and admiring the architecture we stumbled upon a small caffe. The pizza and the service I thought was poor. This is why I recommend, when not in a rush to eat, to wander off the beaten path to find some better restaurants.

Milan, the next day

The next day's adventure was to the Castello Sforzesco

According to Wikipedia, Castello Sforzesco was once the residency of the Duchy of Milan. The Duchy of Milan was once part of the Roman Empire. It was transfered as a military fort to the City of Milan. During WWII the castle was damaged in bombing raids and was repaired after the war. The castle's structure was a 12 pointed polygon shape with an inner wall, as well. There is lots of space inside to roam and imagine what life might have been like in the old world. The city of Milan was once a walled city with Castello Sforzesco inside of those walls.

Today the castle host a multiple of museums. There is an Ancient Art, Musical Instruments and Egyptian and Prehistoric Museum to name a few. They are interesting and quick to move through. Buying one ticket allowed us to get into all of them.

Amongst some of the art on exhibit is Michelangelo's Rondanini Pietà, supposedly his last sculpture. There are works from the middle ages. Small handcrafted items such as a globe and boat to furniture and pottery. One of the more interesting exhibits is the Egyptian and Prehistoric section. I was surprised at mummy and caskets that they had on display. And although it doesn't rival the British Museum, it was quite an impressive display.

Overall I thought the Castello Sforzesco was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

The Last Supper

One of the main goals of the trip was to see Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.

According to the Christian Gospel, the Last Supper was the last meal Jesus had with the Twelve Apostles before he was put to death. At this meal, he proclaims that one of the twelve will betray him. Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint a mural depicting this event for Duke Ludovico Sforza.

The mural is painted on the wall of the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. It is best if you reserve your time in advance. We did. I don't know if you will be able to just walk up to the desk and buy a ticket. There is, in effect, a waiting room where the next group waits for entrance into the dinning hall to see the mural. When it was our turn, we left the waiting area and moved into the first airlock. The glass door behind closed and then the glass door to the dining hall at the monastery opened and we stepped inside.

At first it is just a dim, cool empty hall. But as you look to the right the mural is there. You can't help but walk in that direction. There it is, larger than life. I had the same sensation I had when I saw the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. That feeling like I had been here before. But I know it is because all my life I have seen that image. IT was amazing to look at the paint on the wall and then step back to see an entire Christian scene.

No photography is allowed inside. So if you have never seen Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, here is a link to The Last Supper





Leonardo Da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology

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Photos

Milan
The streets are full of people, cars, bikes, scooters and trolleys.

Duomo di Milano
The cathedral church of Milan in the Lombardy region, northern Italy.

Piazza del Duomo
The view of Piazza del Duomo and Milan from the top of the cathedral.

Piazza del Duomo
Pigeons make a great attraction for children. Just watch out for the ever present scam artists.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Nice to walk through and admire, but not much more.

Eating out?
Enjoy the local food and wine and leave the chain restaurants for when you get back home.

Castello Sforzesco
The Torre del Filarete in the background.

Comments

[antonio paisano]

Mac donald's perfect name for american food ( pure shit) i love this picture from milano, BRAVO