Milan

    This past Thursday, I went on a long weekend trip with my program IES to Milan.  It was probably the best trip that I've taken so far while in Italy.  Our hotel was in the center of town about 10 minutes walking distance from the Duomo (above photo).  It's famous for being perhaps the most beautiful cathedral in Italy and maybe even Europe.  Out of the many Duomo I've seen so far, this was definitely my favorite and the most memorable.  

Above: Interior of the Duomo.  It was dark, peaceful, and so beautiful in all its Gothic splendor.

There were rows and rows of candles that worshipers lit.  I bought one and lit it in memory of my Dad.

As you can see in the left side of the photo, each tiny panel which made up each stained glass window depicted its own Biblical event or event from the life of a Saint.

The crypt of the Duomo.  It holds several relics, such as the bodies of Saints.  One important relic which hangs from the roof inside the Duomo (so that no one will steal it) is supposedly one of the nails which nailed Jesus to the cross at the time of his crucifiction.

The Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle.  Among other things, it houses several of the top brands of Milan, including the original Prada store.

Experimenting with sunglass reflections with my friend inside the Galleria

Pink snail sculptures in the Piazza della Scala.  The world-renowned La Scala opera house is in the background.  Some of my friends paid to go inside the museum there and got to see the theater, but unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to go.

The Castello Sforzesco.  There is an art museum inside that we visited.

    On Friday, our second day in Milan, we woke up bright and early at 6:30 am, had breakfast in the hotel then went to Santa Maria delle Grazie, the church which holds da Vinci's L'Ultima Cena (The Last Supper).  I knew it was going to be big, but I had no idea that it would occupy the entire wall of a building and be so impressive.  Instead of painting it into plaster that was still wet (which would have produced a fresco) Leonardo da Vinci decided to paint it on already-dry paster, creating a secco.  Unfortunately being a secco has made it more vulnerable to degrading forces, such as moisture.  Until recently when an advanced dehumidifying system was employed, there was much moisture in the room it is in housed and because of this, the secco is a shadow of its former beauty.  Nevertheless, I thought it was so beautiful and painted with so much feeling & attention to detail.  

Interior of Santa Maria delle Grazie

    Santa Maria delle Grazie

Above: Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio

Courtyard of the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio which is the exact same size as the interior.  Sant'Ambrogio is one of the oldest churches in Milan.

Interior of the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio

Skeleton of Saints relics on display in the crypt of the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio.  The church also houses the "Golden Alter" and several other treasures.

Street sign in Milan

After our guided tour of several churches on Friday, we had the whole afternoon and evening free so I went with a friend to visit a couple of stores that were way too expensive for us (so we weren't tempted to buy anything), including the original Prada store.  Then, after lunch, we paid 5 euros to climb the Duomo, which was definitely worth it.  Quite possibly, the Duomo is even more beautiful when you're walking on it than it is from the ground.  Rather than getting a broad view of the entire massive structure (the 4th largest cathedral in the world) that I got from the ground, walking along its roof amongst the splendid Gothic architecture allowed me to view the detail up close, alerting me to the nuances of the architecture.

The view as we climbed the Duomo

On top of the Duomo looking up at all of its spires, embellished edges, and flying buttresses

On top of the roof of the Duomo.  It was such a beautiful day that we just sat on the roof in the sun for several hours basking in the beauty of the Duomo.  It was such a high, and I would consider it among some of the best things I've done in Italy so far.  

Looking out over Milan from the roof of the Duomo.  It's definitely a more industrial city than Siena, and  slightly more modern.  It's also considered the fashion capital of Italy.  You can see the Alps in the distance.