10/22 Tuesday
It’s a wet, grey day, good for a rainy
walk to the Duomo, or Cathedral Santa Maria Nascente. Milan is a busy and attractive city. As we
walk along the street, we pass lots of designer shops, gourmet delis, and
cafes. The streets are bustling, but it feels right-sized, not oversized.
The Duomo, however, is one of the
biggest cathedrals we’ve seen. It has a massive footprint on the plaza, a huge
block of a building crowned with spires, like an enormous birthday cake, and a
golden statue of Santa Maria
topping it all. The plaza is framed by porticos and the impressive Galleria of
Vittorio Emmanuel II, whose monument and palace fill the piazza opposite the
cathedral. The Cathedral is undergoing a total renovation, with most of the
exterior showing the results with its bright pastel marble façade. Today the
sky is filled with dramatic clouds , but we can imagine how spectacular the
Duomo would look in the sunshine. Parts are still draped in construction,
inside and out. We go through a brief security check to enter, although there
is no fee, except to take photos. Bob pays his 2 Euros for a blue wristband to
use his camera. Even with half the interior draped in coverings, the space is
awesome. It is difficult to express the grandeur of the arcade of stained glass
windows ten stories high. The gothic vaulted arches of the ceiling are even
higher.
Next to the Cathedral is the
Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel II (not a shy man, this Vittorio), considered to be
one of the world’s the oldest shopping mall. It predates the Galleria Umberto
in Naples by
about 25 years. It’s similar to the Naples Galleria, with its high glass ceilings
and ornate buildings and luxury shops and restaurants. The mall is hugely
popular with tourists and locals alike, although how anyone can shop here is
beyond me. There are several Prada shops, one showcasing a one-of-a-kind
calf-length skirt of crocodile skin for a mere 60,000 Euros. There’s also a
creepy tradition of putting your heel on the genitals of a mosaic bull that
decorates the floor, and spinning three times around for luck. It’s caused a
small dent in the tiles. There’s a constant circle of people making videos of
someone spinning, or waiting their turn. Icky. And, although the Galleria went
through an expensive lawsuit to keep out McDonalds, we sadly note that there is
a McDonald’s opening soon, to join the Burger King that’s already in place.
1 Video Included
Milan Duomo
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