Ciao a tutti! Today I am writing to you about my recent trip to Milan this past weekend. I was very excited to go because I have heard that Milan is a beautiful city and one of the world's greatest fashion capitals. Fortunately, the weather was beautiful when I went so I was able to see the city in all its glory,
When I first arrived in Milan, I was instantly transported into beauty because the central train station itself is stunning. Milano Centrale is Italy's second largest railway station (after Roma Termini) in terms of passenger volume. It is a combination of Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and rationalism and is the work of Alberto Fava. This station's Platform 21 is famous because it first housed the waiting room of the Savoy Family and then during the Second World War, Jews were deported from this platform to concentration camps. The Memoriale della Shoah is located inside the station, which is a Holocaust memorial commemorating these Jewish prisoners.
Milano Centrale train station
After looking at the railway station, I headed to Milan's Cathedral. I instantly recognized it when I stepped into the piazza because its exterior is so striking.
The cathedral took nearly 600 years to complete with construction beginning in 1386, and there is still work being done on it today. It is larger than St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, the second largest church in Europe, and the fourth largest church in the world.
This is the interior of the Cathedral. It is built in a gothic style.
The Cathedral is dedicated to the Nativity of Saint Mary and it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, who is currently Archbishop Mario Delpini.
The Milan Cathedral also features an underground archeological area. Located under the front steps of the Duomo, the archeological area shows visitors the remains of the Baptistry of Saint John (San Giovanni alle Fonti) and the Basilica of Santa Tecla.
My ticket also included access to the roof of the Duomo. I climbed 251 steps to get to this point!
Once you reach the top, you can see a beautiful panoramic view of the city.
After my rooftop visit I went to the Duomo Museum, located in the Piazza del Duomo, where I read about and saw the magnificent history of the cathedral.
The pictures above are different exhibits from the Duomo Museum.
Right next to the Duomo are the shops in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The structure is Italy's oldest shopping gallery and features designer brand stores, like Dior and Prada. The Galleria is named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of of the kingdom of Italy. The street connects the Piazza del Duomo with the Piazza della Scala and is covered by an arching glass and cast iron roof, a popular design for 19th-century arcades. I didn't get anything from the designer shops, but I did get a postcard here!
My next destination was Castello Sforzesco. Built as a stronghold at the orders of Galeazzo II Visconti between 1360 and 1370, the Castello was transformed into a residence in the 15th century and assumed a more sumptuous form under the Sforza, when the Milanese court was attracting artists such as Leonardo and Bramante. The castle was then used as a barracks during future foreign dominations of the State of Milan by the Spanish, Austrians, and French. At the end of the 19th century during the unification of Italy, the historic complex was restored into a museum by Luca Beltrami.
The museum consists of a diverse collection of exhibits, including the museums of ancient art and arms, wooden furniture and sculpture, decorative arts, musical instruments, and archaeology.
When my tour of the Sforzesco Castle concluded, I stumbled upon Sempione Park. I walked around here for a little bit and enjoyed the fresh air.
My last stop of the day was the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio -- one of the most ancient churches in Milan, built by St. Ambrose in 379–386. Because it was constructed in an area where numerous martyrs of the Roman persecutions have been buried, the first name of the church was in fact Basilica Martyrum.
This basilica is considered to be an expression of the Lombard Romanesque style. The nave is made up of four square bays, the first three with rubbed cross-vaulting, the last topped by an octagonal dome, concealed on the outside by the lantern. For each main bay there are two smaller bays in the side aisles, with cross-vaulting and matronea.
The church's treasures include a 9th-century Ciborium, the Golden Altar (a masterpiece from the Carolingian age, 835 ca.) and the Sacello di San Vittore in Ciel d'Oro, a chapel with a hemi-spherical gold mosaic-clad dome (5th century). Outside, there is a bell tower on the right, which is the Monk's Tower (9th century), and the Canon's Tower on the left (12th century) completed in 1889.
I stayed at this church for half an hour before returning back to the Milan Centrale train station to head home. So there you have it! Those are the main activities I did in Milan this past weekend. It is a magnificent and modern city and there's still a lot more to see, so I hope to make it back again soon! But for now, arrivederci!
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