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| Doumo di Milano |
For the record, the funniest misadventure in the entirety of our European tour happened during this trip to Milan. Well, it was actually my honest mistake that I overlooked our train departure time so we missed our train and ended up buying a new ticket. That a was a slight bump on our trip but situations like that shouldn’t ruin our day. Finally, we were aboard the train and after 2 hours, we reached the Milan Central Station.
When I planned this tour, I was particularly focused among other things on visiting one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s greatest works, The Last Supper or also known as L’Ultima Cena. This Da Vinci artwork has became one of the favorite subjects of conspiracy theorists. Dan Brown for one had his most famous novel “Da Vinci Code” centered on this very painting. Visiting “The Last Supper” was not a typical museum tour wherein anybody can do a walk-in, buy a ticket and queue to get access. If anyone plans to visit this mural painting, one has to book ahead of time (I mean months ahead). The popularity of Brown's novel made it even more difficult to get a reservation so planning ahead is the key. We were lucky that there were available slots during our scheduled visit to Milan. Without any second thought, I immediately purchased two tickets
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| Milan Centrale |
When we left Venice, we had no time to take our breakfast so upon arrival at Milan Centrale we grabbed a bite in a nearby cafe inside the station. If you’re in Italy, drinking cappuccino or espresso is a must but I am not a coffee person so I ordered juice instead and sandwich. After a quick bite, we spent a couple of minutes strolling around this massive train terminal before heading to our planned tour. As I scanned the insides, noticeable that it doesn't have that exclusive Italian architectural style but it has that art deco vibe. It could probably be explained by the fact that it was under several designers before it was officially opened.
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| Inside the Milan Centrale |
One good convenience the terminal offers though is the availability of numerous shops and restaurants. I even stopped at one of the mobile service stores to inquire getting a local sim for my temporary internet connection while in Italy. After completing our stroll, we headed to the metro station to visit the majestic Duomo di Milano (or Milan Cathedral). Inside the terminal station is the transfer access to the Milan Metro system or the subway which is an added convenience for tourists new to the city like us. I didn’t try the public transport the first time I was here since my Milan based colleague drove me around so this was our opportunity to experience commuting in Italy for the first time. Four stations from centrale via the yellow Line leads to the Duomo station.
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| Piazza del Duomo |
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| Glass Stained Windows inside Duomo |
It was in 2008 when I first visited this massive cathedral and I was literally speechless because of its size and grand design. The Duomo that stands in the center of city was the result of almost six centuries of construction and upon completion easily claimed 2nd biggest church in Italy (after St. Peter's) and currently 5th in the world. The church has that very obvious Gothic design by just looking at the exterior of its elaborate facade. In front of the cathedral is a huge piazza known as the Piazza del Duomo and to its right is a popular high end shopping mall and one of the oldest in the world, the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel II. Right at center of the piazza is the Monument to King Victor Emmanuel II. Though still early in the morning, the piazza was already populated with tourists and pigeons alike. The pigeons are the perennial visitors to the plaza and tourists do enjoy chasing them, indeed a perfect scene to capture with my lens. By just standing in front of the church and watching people, anyone can loose track of the time. Without spending too much time at the piazza, we went inside the cathedral. Gothic churches are actually similar in design,
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| St. Bartholomew |
but what made each church so unique were the elaborate details and artworks put into it which reflected the different styles and artistry of the artist who was commissioned to provide an elaborate interpretation of the builders' vision. Given the size of this church, we didn't have the luxury of time to really examine the interiors but one caught my attention, the sculpture of St. Bartholomew located at the left of the altar. I learned that the sculpture represented the very manner of his death and martyrdom, flayed alive due to his defiance to worship a pagan god and his skin in the sculpture was thrown over his shoulders which appeared like a stole. Indeed a testament of great faith making him endure such a form of inhumane torture. Apart from this sculpture, Duomo di Milano also houses what is believed to be one of the holy nails of the Crucifixion.
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| Inside of the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel II |
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| Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel II |
After our visit to the church, we walked towards the Galleria and explored its grand design and interiors. This structure is composed of two glass vaulted arcades in octagon covering the streets connecting the two piazzas, The del Duomo and della Scala. Inside this mall were some of the most famous fashion brands. During my first visit back in 2008, I was not expecting to see a McDonalds store in this very posh mall. Actually it occupied not just a regular spot but one of the four prime spots of the Galleria in the company of luxury brand like the Louis Vuitton. Fast forward to 2013, the McDonalds store was gone and the space was occupied by another luxury brand, Prada. I read that the owner prevented McDonalds extending the contract after their 20years of occupancy. A very interesting story indeed. Another artwork inside the Galleria and right underneath the octagonal glass dome on the ground were four mosaics representing the coat of arms of the three capitals of the Kingdom of Italy (Turin, Florence and Rome), the fourth being Milan’s. I was not familiar of the Italian cities coat of arms but one image caught my attention, the mosaic of a she-wolf feeding two babies. I was 100% sure that it is for Rome as I was reminded of the myth on the founding of Rome by the two brothers Remus and Romulus. With what I'd seen, this mall definitely equals to that of the Galleries La Fayette in Paris. After taking a couple of photos, we walked towards the other side leading to the Piazza della Scala where Teatro della Scala is located, Milan’s premier opera house. For a couple of hours, we managed to explore different places within the Duomo area. This was just a prelude of what really was the main highlight of our trip to Milan.
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| Church of Sta. Maria della Grazie |
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Last Supper (Photo taken from the brochure
during the tour) |
Our next stop was the long awaited visit to the Church of Sta. Maria della Grazie to see up-close with our own eyes Da Vinci’s famous painting, The Last Supper. The mural painting is actually inside the convent refectory. Visiting the convent was quite a walk from the nearest metro station MM1 (Conciliazione) and MM2 (Cadorna) or via tram 16 (Stanta Maria delle Grazie, Corso Magenta). Being new to the city, finding the place was a challenge. But finally, we managed to arrive before our scheduled time. Included in our ticket was the access to “Codex Atlanticus” exhibit. The Codex Atlanticus is world’s largest collection of Da Vinci’s work covering different subjects from flight, weaponry, musical instruments and botany. It was a series of twenty-four exhibitions running until 2015 in Milan in both Biblioteca Ambrosiana and Sacrestia del Bramante in Santa Maria delle Grazie. Having the opportunity to see some of the Da Vinci’s original drawings gave us an insight on the variety of subjects making occupied aside from painting the Mona Lisa or The Last Supper or the Vitruvian Man. Leonardo Da Vinci will definitely top list of recipients for the title far greater than being called a "genius" because of his huge influence in the different fields of study. All his original writings and drawings were displayed along the perimeter of the Sacrestia Bramante. The exhibition room was a very relaxing place, a dimly illuminated room with spotlights projected directly on each display coupled with classical music playing on the background. Who would be hypnotized to a deep slumber? After seeing all the pieces, I sat down, but I cannot resist the temptation of stealing a nap. And I did. Bu when it was about time, we left the exhibition room and proceeded to get our ticket for the most awaited visit of the day, the Last Supper or L’Ultima Cena. The security on the most reproduced painting of all time was very tight and give visitors 15minutes to stay inside to appreciate the masterpiece. You read it right, unlike with other museums where you can always come back as many as you like while inside the museum. For the The Last Supper, it is just a one time opportunity unless you decide to come back in Milan and make a reservation for another visit. After 15minutes, weather you like it or not, everyone must leave to allow the next batch to get in. At a time, a maximum of 20-25people are allowed due to limited space, providing visitors enough space to spread out and stand at every angle without being obstructed by huge crowd. With the limited number of people at a time, humidity of the room can be easily monitored and maintained to a precise level considering the fragile condition of the painting.
As we enter the room, a sudden amazement I felt seeing with my own eyes the original Last Supper. I’ve seen it many times but only in books, posters or at the dining area of many Catholics' homes. Seeing the real thing gave me goosebumps. As I stand in one spot inside the refectory, and staring at the painting, I can to realize that Vinci’s excellent decision to paint the exact moment immediately preceding Jesus announcement that someone will betray him provided a perfect scene for reinterpretation. Such chilling revelation scene allowed Da Vinci the great opportunity to provide various reactions of each disciple. The painting was huge and I can't imagine the amount of time and effort Da Vinci put in this painting. Da Vinci’s use of perspective was also one of the important features that standing in one spot provided a feeling that I was actually on the scene. It took us centuries to develop it, but the Maestro already had the concept of what is today the 3D. Just standing there and staring at the painting was a surreal and once in a lifetime experience. Another difference of this painting from the rest of his other works was the departure from the traditional fresco painting which uses plaster. He wanted to be more meditated which he cannot do with the use of plaster since he need to complete the painting while the plaster is still wet. Instead, he applied a dry technique that though effects of light can best achieved, painting was more fragile and deteriorated faster than using a conventional technique. Another threat to the painting was its almost full destruction during the war but it survived miraculously. Nobody can really tell how much from the original painting by Da Vinci was left due to the numerous restoration works done on it, but regardless, the painting was, is and will always be an important artwork by the Maestro, the Leonardo Da Vinci himself. The Last Supper was not the only artwork inside. Opposite to The Last Supper was the final scene in the passion of the Christ, The Crucifixion by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano. Before I forget though, taking pictures was absolutely prohibited inside the refectory when viewing. In a way, it was actually good as I spent my limited time just appreciating the masterpiece.
After that surreal experience, we decided to go back to Duomo to hang out, eat and enjoy the remaining hours of our stay in Milan. Milan is one of the most important fashion capitals of the world along with Paris, London and New York and so we didn’t forgo the opportunity to visit Italy’s most expensive street which is situated right at the neighborhood of The Duomo, the Via Montenapoleone and ranking 5th in the world. Walking along this famous and expensive street, you can easily tell why it is so. In both sides of the street, we were seeing fashion houses of many luxurious brands. If one really wants to splurge, this is the street for you aside of course from the posh Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel II. At this time, the piazza and the church grounds were packed of tourists, locals and street performers. Killing time while watching these street artists was indeed a memorable site to remember. We left Milan fulfilled. We accomplished what we needed to do and feeling more excited for what Venice has to offer.
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| Monument of King Vittorio Emmanuel II |
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| Coat of Arms of Rome |
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| Teatro della Scala |
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| Via Montenapoleone |
