We left Milano this morning and took the subway to the train station to take the train to the airport to take an airplane to Milan to fly to Lisboa to have a rider to Setúbal.
All of that with no issues!
The place we are staying is old and big and a delightful adventure every moment. We love it!
Every moment is an adventure, and every adventure is a moment Read More »
Since we are in Milan, we might as well go look at THAT famous wall painting.
We had a bite to eat for breakfast and walked over to the Santa Maria delle Grazie. This church is attached to a monastry. In the dining hall of the monastery is where Leonardo da Vinci painted The Last Supper.
The whole church is a UNESCO site, but what is left of the painting now is so fragile that we had to go through three air-locks to get in. The group was also only allowed to be in there for 15 minutes exactly. Then two more airlocks to get back out.
In the Last Supper, done between 1494 and 1498 on the north wall of the refectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent, Leonardo renewed the traditional imagery of the Cenacle, choosing the dramatic moment of doubt, when it is not yet known who will betray Christ and the souls of the apostles are deeply shaken. Не also renewed the painterly composition and, with an extraordinary use of perspective, created a sense of continuity between the real space and the painting space.
The Last Supper was not done with the traditional technique of “good fresco”; on the dry wall Leonardo experimented with a technique similar to that used for painting on wood, ideal to get the best rendering of chiaroscuro effects and to allow slow and meditated progression suited to making changes. The work also proved extremely fragile because of unfavourable environmental conditions: a few years after completion it already showed signs of the ineluctable process of deterioration.
In 1799, under the laws of the Cisalpine Republic, the convent was suppressed and the Cenacle used by the Napoleonic army as a stable and barn.
Since 1934 the Cenacle has been a state museum, while the convent has gone to the Dominican fathers. In 1943, during World War Two, a bomb caused the collapse of the ceiling and east wall of the refectory; the Last Supper was saved thanks to the protection put in place at the beginning of the war and prompt reconstruction work.
Over the centuries the fragility of the Last Supper has made restoration work necessary several times, often proving harmful. The last restoration (1978-1999) removed layers of colour, glue and materials added in previous restoration work, recovered the painting fragments by Leonardo. To guarantee its conservation a sophisticated protection system safeguards the painting against big variations in temperature, dust and polluting agents.
Graffiti in the dining room Read More »
On our walk back we stopped for a light lunch at Castle Sforza and wandered the extensive grounds.
After some meandering along the city streets we got to Teatro La Scala. Sadly, they were doing a rehearsal and we were not allowed to tour the theatre itself. We ended up getting tickets for the museum portion only.
What an interesting museum dedicated to the famous stars of the operatic era.
About a third of the museum was dedicated to the great Maria Callas. She changed modern opera with her amazing voice.
Callas was a foreigner in a world of mediocrity.
Callas by her name Read More »
Randomly wandering the streets of Milano discovering unusual sights and wonderful little places.
To reword an old song:
Buona sera.
It is time to say goodnight to Milano
Though it’s hard for us to whisper, buona sera
With that old moon above this beautiful city
In the morning we’ll be leaving
When the mountains help the sun come into sight. In the meantime let me tell you that we fell in love with you
Buona sera, Milano
Buena sera, Milano Read More »
The scenic train ride through the Alps from Lucerne to Milan elicited never-ending ghasps and pointing and appreciation.
Frustratingly, we kept on trying to take photos of the scenery but the refelctions and triple glass of the train thwarted our best efforts. It was still an awesome ride.
We had to change trains in Lugano, and a short while later showed up in Milan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan
If you ever show up for the first time in your life to Milan, start at the main train station. An impressive building of rare magnificence.
“They told me that when Frank Lloyd Wright came to Milan, and he came only once, he was really impressed by it and said it was the most beautiful station in the world. For me it is also more beautiful than Grand Central Station in New York. I know few stations like this one”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milano_Centrale_railway_station
A short subway ride later we ascended into the heart of Milan in front of the Duomo. Wow. Just wow.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan_Cathedral
First stop was finding our hotel right next to the Duomo and leaving our luggage to go explore.
It is hard to relate the sheer number of people at the Christmas markets around the Duomo, the breathtakingly massive ‘shopping center’ Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II, and all the high-end shops on the last Friday before Christmas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galleria_Vittorio_Emanuele_II
We braved it all with wide-eyed excitement.
I snuggled them so hard!
Everyone here is a fashionista Read More »
Every trip we pick one very special restaurant to have dinner. This time we selected Horto in Milano.
https://hortorestaurant.com/en/
It might be a zero waste restaurant in a completely green building, but interestingly enough all the food is sourced within an hour’s drive of the restaurant to reduce the carbon footprint and help the local farmers.
There is a lot more wonderful things about this place of which the very least is their Michelin star.
The trout main dish was designed around elements of the river to honor the fish.
Dinner is more than ethically served Read More »