We arrived in Milan exhausted from our travel and the rush before we departed. It was soon after 9.00am when we arrived at the hotel but our bodies were telling us that we had had a long day and it was time for bed!
It might have been just as well that the room wasn't ready as we dropped our gear and headed out. Three months or so earlier we had tried without success to book tickets for a visit to see "The Last Supper" but without success. On our arrival our hotel tried the ticket office and also the group visits but even at inflated prices we couldn't get tickets. It was looking like our third visit to Milan would again be without this highlight. We went by metro to the Gothic church of Santa Maria delle Grazie where in the adjacent refectory Leonardo's famous work is located. We looked through the church but it was somewhat of an anti climax! The ticket office simply said no tickets for months! So we stood around in the small piazza and asked tour groups as they came along. In no time we had picked up 2 tickets with less than 15 minutes to wait. Yes we paid the scalpers' price of 200% mark up but only one third of what the groups charge.
We entered on our timed ticket into the refectory. There are just 2 frescoes in the room and we spent most of the time allowed looking at one of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous works.
We didn't realise that this was Leonardo's first Fresco that he had painted and that it was so large. It is about 9 X 9.5 metres in size. We were amazed that this work painted in 1495-7 was so impressive.
The guide was quick to point out that the figure often thought of as Mary Magdalene was in fact John and he was younger than the others! We took lots of photos!
We went on by metro to the Alzaia Naviglio Grande. This canal area is beautiful and a great place to eat in one of the many canal side restaurants. We were too early for lunch even though it was about 1,00pm so we returned to near our hotel to a pleasant Ristorante Pizzeria for beer, wine and pizza
Gail on one of the small bridges that cross Milan's Grande Canal.Not Venice but still impressive.
We should have either asked someone to take just the one shot of the two of us or stitched these two together!!
Once in our room mid afternoon we slept and slept and slept some more
Fresh the next day we picked up our train tickets, ate breakfast like a local and then took the metro to the Duomo. It was already very hot. The European heatwave is hanging on but it is cooler than last week. We picked up tickets and spent hours exploring the many facets of a full Duomo visit. We started on the rooftop terraces. This time we went up by lift but there were still more than enough steps to slow us down. The views are stunning. The building is amazing.
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It is a long walk around the terraces. Many close up details of the architecture and lots of sculptures.
Gail on the rooftop terrace.
Such fine detail to stand the test of time!
Some details are a surprise!
We went down the lift into the church so avoiding the line to enter the church. It is of course enormous. One of the great churches of Europe.
Built on a grand style
Columns reaching to heaven!
We also visited the Archaeological section of a 5th century church that was under the current church. Then we went on to the Museum that contains many religious treasures.
Silver and gold
Stained glass
and more glass
We also went into the San Gottardo Church. A much simpler place of worship!
A modern sculpture in comparison with the traditional works inside the cathedral. Titled Paradosso.
Outside we saw the church "in new light" The sun had moved and we were not trying to take shots directly into the glare.
The exterior of the cathedral is the ultimate in Gothic detail.
The view that those in a rush miss! Stunning.
We walked down to another church that makes it into the list of must see places!On the way we came to the Nella notte di San Lorenzo. We came to the Basilica di Santa Maria presso San Satiro.It is famous as it has a fake Apse. It is a flat wall that is painted to make you think it has considerable depth. It is not a very large Basilica!!
The fake wall
We walked back up to the Duomo square and into the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel. Lots of top end shops. We found an interesting restaurant for lunch More pizza,wine and beer!
Our final stop was the Leonardo Museum. This has a fascinating collection of Leonardo the inventor, the engineer as well as the artist. There were many working scale models and digitalized restorations of paintings. So many firsts even if some didn't make it into production. Flying machines, submarines, helicopters, time machines or perpetual motion gadgets, machine guns,rapid fire crossbow, mechanical flying dragonfly,, many musical instruments that he invented or improved such as adding stops to a trumpet, circular cannon of 16 canons so constant firing and much more. Leonardo was so far in advance of his time. An amazing person. No photos inside!
Leonardo in the nearby Piazza della Scala.
Milan is a beautiful city with more than enough to see for another week but we move on tomorrow to start our Swiss adventure.
It might have been just as well that the room wasn't ready as we dropped our gear and headed out. Three months or so earlier we had tried without success to book tickets for a visit to see "The Last Supper" but without success. On our arrival our hotel tried the ticket office and also the group visits but even at inflated prices we couldn't get tickets. It was looking like our third visit to Milan would again be without this highlight. We went by metro to the Gothic church of Santa Maria delle Grazie where in the adjacent refectory Leonardo's famous work is located. We looked through the church but it was somewhat of an anti climax! The ticket office simply said no tickets for months! So we stood around in the small piazza and asked tour groups as they came along. In no time we had picked up 2 tickets with less than 15 minutes to wait. Yes we paid the scalpers' price of 200% mark up but only one third of what the groups charge.
We entered on our timed ticket into the refectory. There are just 2 frescoes in the room and we spent most of the time allowed looking at one of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous works.
We didn't realise that this was Leonardo's first Fresco that he had painted and that it was so large. It is about 9 X 9.5 metres in size. We were amazed that this work painted in 1495-7 was so impressive.
The guide was quick to point out that the figure often thought of as Mary Magdalene was in fact John and he was younger than the others! We took lots of photos!
We went on by metro to the Alzaia Naviglio Grande. This canal area is beautiful and a great place to eat in one of the many canal side restaurants. We were too early for lunch even though it was about 1,00pm so we returned to near our hotel to a pleasant Ristorante Pizzeria for beer, wine and pizza
Gail on one of the small bridges that cross Milan's Grande Canal.Not Venice but still impressive.
Once in our room mid afternoon we slept and slept and slept some more
Fresh the next day we picked up our train tickets, ate breakfast like a local and then took the metro to the Duomo. It was already very hot. The European heatwave is hanging on but it is cooler than last week. We picked up tickets and spent hours exploring the many facets of a full Duomo visit. We started on the rooftop terraces. This time we went up by lift but there were still more than enough steps to slow us down. The views are stunning. The building is amazing.
\
We went down the lift into the church so avoiding the line to enter the church. It is of course enormous. One of the great churches of Europe.
We also visited the Archaeological section of a 5th century church that was under the current church. Then we went on to the Museum that contains many religious treasures.
We also went into the San Gottardo Church. A much simpler place of worship!
Outside we saw the church "in new light" The sun had moved and we were not trying to take shots directly into the glare.
We walked down to another church that makes it into the list of must see places!On the way we came to the Nella notte di San Lorenzo. We came to the Basilica di Santa Maria presso San Satiro.It is famous as it has a fake Apse. It is a flat wall that is painted to make you think it has considerable depth. It is not a very large Basilica!!
We walked back up to the Duomo square and into the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel. Lots of top end shops. We found an interesting restaurant for lunch More pizza,wine and beer!
Our final stop was the Leonardo Museum. This has a fascinating collection of Leonardo the inventor, the engineer as well as the artist. There were many working scale models and digitalized restorations of paintings. So many firsts even if some didn't make it into production. Flying machines, submarines, helicopters, time machines or perpetual motion gadgets, machine guns,rapid fire crossbow, mechanical flying dragonfly,, many musical instruments that he invented or improved such as adding stops to a trumpet, circular cannon of 16 canons so constant firing and much more. Leonardo was so far in advance of his time. An amazing person. No photos inside!
Milan is a beautiful city with more than enough to see for another week but we move on tomorrow to start our Swiss adventure.
5 comments:
A wonderful start to your latest jaunt!
You've made me want to visit Milan.
I love Milan. Sounds like you fitted a lot into your day.
But you missed the Lavazza Flagship Store in Piazza San Fedele!
https://www.wheremilan.com/shopping-news/lavazza-opens-first-flagship-store-milan/
Glad you got to see the last supper. We love Milano!!
The boys thought that the A modern sculpture called Paradosso looked like dinosaur poo!!!
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