Milano

We thought we were so worldly when we talked about mi-LAHN-oh, rather than mi-LAHN.  Turns out the natives say MI-len, much as a Hoosier would talk about millin' that corn into cornmeal. 

Whatever you call it, Milan is lovely.  Our hotel (described as having "old world charm"--does that mean hostile clerks?  Our experience says so.) has a great location in walking distance to the train station.   In fact, we walked and walked, which is a great way to reset the circadian rhythm and adapt to a new time zone. 

We walked to 15th century church Santa Maria delle Grazie, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_delle_Grazie_%28Milan%29,  the church where Leonardo DaVinci's Last Supper hangs.  Unfortunately, tickets to get in to see it are sold out weeks in advance.  Bummer.  Fortunately, the church courtyard was open and there was an exhibit of DaVinci sketches which the physicist very much enjoyed.   These papers were in very subdued lighting and the actual texts and drawings were quite tiny, so Catbird's exhausted eyes trailed back out to the courtyard to wait.

 

Courtyard of Santa Maria delle Grazie

After an afternoon crash, we trekked out the other direction to visit the Milan Cathedral (aka Duomo di Milano) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan_Cathedral.  We didn't mind that we had slept through the Sunday hours; we enjoyed watching people in the piazza and taking in the dazzling artwork that is the external edifice of the duomo.  Catbird was encouraged; so many European cathedrals seem designed to intimidate and oppress.  By way of contrast, this 14th Century architectural paean shone in the sun and made spirits glad.  Not just ours, either, general pleasantness was everywhere in evidence.

 

Duomo di Milano

 This is more beautiful than the picture captures.

  

Detail from front door of Milan Duomo

As so many others, we were particularly enamored of the doors.  Mostly the dark patina prevails, but some areas are worn shiny by touch of admirers and gleam as the entire doors must have when first placed.  

Door on the left shows damage from WWII.  Funny how WWII always seemed like ancient history back in the 60s when it was really a mere 20 years previous.  We are now 50 (count 'em 50) years from the 60s and they seem like yesterday.  Of course, in Italy there is nothing ancient or distant about  WWII.  Milan was almost completely wiped out by Allied bombs and residents talk about new construction (anything under 60 years old) as evidence of where the city had been flattened. 

 

Exterior of the Arcade

Facing the duomo piazza, the arcade survives and is still an impressive edifice both inside and out.  Just try to focus on your gelato, the murals and the overpriced ugly Prada bags, and ignore the McDonald's and the Burger King not so discretely placed next to the ristorantes.

 

Interior of the Arcade,

Distant statue in courtyard is of Leonardo DaVinci, 

and beyond that is La Scala

Despite the age and glory of Saint Mary of Grace and the Duomo di Milano, the oldest church in Milan is the Basilica of Saint Ambrogio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Sant%27Ambrogio which was built in the 4th Century. It was heavily damaged during WWII also. St. Ambrose is the patron saint of Milan and though the building has been restored, added onto, etc. there is still much artwork in evidence of the 4th century.  This interior did much to convey peace and sanctuary.

 

My physicist looks at the back of St. Ambrose, the dome original to 4th c.

The hideous pink attachments were built after the war.

Inside St. Ambrose, from the not so distant Christmas of 1944, this nativity set was created in the Wietzendorf concentration camp, using improvised tools to shape pallet wood and barbed wire into figures 12 - 18 inches tall.  Cherished fabric scraps, mementos of loved ones and far better times, were donated for clothing.  Baby Jesus is made of a silk handkerchief.  Humbling to imagine having so little and being willing to give it up.

 

~

Catbird had looked into tickets for an opera at La Scala but they were just too pricey, and the available performances not familiar ("three new short operas").  Plus €280 seemed a bit steep, especially with our likelihood to sleep through performances.  So, though we seriously considered it, we opted out. 

Fortunately we caught a real break when we visited the La Scala Museum and were treated to a peek into the beautiful and famous c-shaped auditorium and--better yet--got to watch a rehearsal of Faust.  Watching them block a scene with so many people recalled for my physicist when his dear boy was in the Austin Children's Choir and sang in Carmen.  We stayed in our little box for over an hour and could not have been more moved at a paid performance.

 

Purloined photograph of La Scala Auditorium

Off to Verona where we are sure to find more good gelato and ancient artwork.  (Please don't tell anyone Juliet was a work of fiction; we are off to visit her house.)  

P.S. We haven't met any celebrities in random public places yet, but we do have 28 more days..