Italy 2023, Day 8: Lake Como to Milan

 Leaving Bellagio, we drove along the western leg of the lake towards the town of Como and then jumped on the highway to take us through the countryside to the Milan Malpensa Airport to drop off the car. Like most rental returns, the car was dirty and we hoped that mess would conceal the missing mini grill down by the fog lights that has mysteriously vanished. I think, because we had full insurance, the check-in inspection was cursory, so we grabbed out bags and hightailed it out of the airport on the next Malpensa Express train into Milan.

We had our main backpacks, but now our daypacks were bulging and we were carrying a collapsable bag with our two wedges of aged parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, a Villa Carlotta soap dish, Passo Stelvio and Monte Baldo stickers and pins and other souvenir trinkets and knicknacks. And yet the trip was only half over!

We arrived at the Milano Cadorna station...

and then started walking to our hotel, the Aparthotel dei Mercanti. It was a longer walk than we had hoped and we were hungry so we unceremoniously stopped at a McDonalds (in Milan! I know!), for some fast food so we could be on our way. BTW, it was packed!

We met our host at the Aparthotel and he took a liking to us so, even though were were early for check-in, he tried to expedite the room preparation. After a short wait, we dumped our bags in the room and prepared to tour the city. The Aparthotel dei Mercanti was nicely situated perhaps a 5-10 minute walk from the Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Entering the Piazza del Duomo, the cathedral is striking!

Probably tipping my hand as a true americano, its outline reminded me of Disneyworld's Magic Kingdom. The exterior has 52 massive columns, representing the weeks of the year in the Catholic liturgical calendar. The interior was designed to hold 40,000 worshipers, the entire population of Milan when the construction began (no non-church goers then!). We strolled through the Piazza to soak in the ambiance...

... and the requisite selfie.

We would come back to the Duomo for a longer visit, but for now we were just killing time before our scheduled appointment with the Last Supper fresco. So we stepped lively to the northern side of the Piazza and into the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II to find the famous marble floor with inlaid bull and spin on its testicles for good luck. The open arcade of the galleria was pretty amazing.

We found the mosaic of the bull in the hall facing west towards Torino, Italy (of course) and waited our turn as a number of spectators watched the procession of revelers. Here's Kathi doing her best twirl.

After that quick interlude, we headed towards the main attraction, a visit with the Last Supper. We made our way to the Piazza della Scala, opposite the opera house, with its statue of Leonardo da Vinci and its tribute to his scientific achievements.

Continuing down the Corso Magenta, we came across the Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, attached to the most important female convent of the Benedictines in the city, and so we ducked in to check it out. The interior is replete with frescoes from the 16th century covering the walls. Many of the paintings in the church were commissioned by the powerful Sforza family, the patron of Leonardo.

The "Hall of the Nuns" with its painted ceilings and frescos.

A fresco of Saint Catherine,

Married three times, she was known as the "black widow" who was denounced and beheaded for doing away with her first two husbands. An inspiration to nuns?

Shortly after leaving the monastery, we arrived at the Santa Maria delle Grazie, next to where the Last Supper is housed.

We were early, so instead of waiting in the hot sun, we retreated to the little cafe in the La Vigna di Leonardo. Little did we know then but behind the walls lay the garden where Leonardo made wine. We were just trying to beat the heat.

Eventually, our time came and we entered with our cohort and listened to our tour guide as we stepped through a series of de-humidifying chambers to protect the sensitive and fragile fresco.

I was fascinated by the placards describing the destruction of the building during WWII bombing campaigns.

Before and ...

... after reconstruction.

Some background...

And then we were escorted into the room where the famous fresco lay.

I was disappointed at some in our tour, taking numerous selfies and not even listening the the guide or the historical and interpretive information she provided. Only a portion of some of the other frescos were spared from the bombing. The Last Supper has been repaired several times to try to preserve it's detail, the original compositions, etc.

The map of the disciples.

I remember a hearing about a theory that the figure identified here as John, directly to Jesus' right, was actually Mary. He does look very feminine.

More about the reconstruction...

On the opposite wall is a fresco by Giovanni Donato Da Montorfano called "The Crucifixion"; it gets much less attention. It was painted in the refectory at the same time as the Last Supper, but in the traditional and more enduring method of fresco. In the scene are the saints and blessed souls of the Dominican order with the city of Jerusalem in the background. The group includes Mary Magdalene, St. Dominic, founder of the Dominicans (left) and Saint Thomas Aquinas (right).

Our tour included an optional mini workshop to learn about Leonardo's sketching tools and techniques and we got to try our hand at recreating one of his works. Kathi is quite good at sketching and drawing.

Outside in the courtyard were a series of posters describing how the refectory was laid out and used over time along with information on various restorations. Below is what the room looked like in 1895 and so on.

Still, a bit solemnly, we returned to the Duomo for a closer look. The Duomo is the third largest in Europe; it's immense! Kathi waited in the cathedral while I climbed to the rooftop to look at it's towering spires and commanding views. You can take an elevator, but I choose the stairs.

The views among the spires is pretty amazing. There are over one thousand statues and gargoyles outside of the Duomo.

It's hard to imagine the time it took to build this massive and intricate structure.

How did they get those figurines at the tip top and what keeps them in place over the centuries? Perhaps it's the support from blocks of Candoglia marble. There are 135 spires, each topped with a saint gazing out over the city.

Looking through repetitive design elements...

The highest spire's base was under repair.

A close-up of it's figurative and literal crown of the Duomo. It's La Madonnina, the 15' tall gilded Virgin Mary, a symbol of the city.

Looking down...

Looking out...

Looking back...

Images within images everywhere you go...

Overlapping elements, shadows and light...

Peeking into the repair area...

After a little bit of architectural overload, I rejoined Kathi in the cathedral to wonder at its interior. At more than 500 feet, the nave is the fourth longest in Christendom.

Tree-sized pillars rise to support the arched ceiling and the room is flooded by light filtered through numerous stained glass windows.

Who wouldn't want to make a confession here?

This is a plaque honoring Guiseppe Brentano who won a competition to design the facade of the Duomo.

Ornate floor tiles commemorating the bishops...

The stained glass window below celebrates two local cardinals - Cardinal Ferrari and Cardinal Schuster who heroically helped the Milanese out of their WWII depression.

Below, one of the cardinals lays behind glass. I'm always fascinated by these holy relics on display. It's a little creepy but also interesting.

A tribute to the Madonna...

The inlaid marble floors have stood the test of time.

We were tourists, but we were also reminded this is still an active church and place of worship.

In the photo above, you can see a red light on the cross high above the alter. That's where a nail from the cross of Jesus is kept. The relic was brought to Milan by Saint Helen (Emperor Constantine's mother) in the fourth century, when Milan was the capital of the western Roman Empire. Flanking the alter are two famous bishops cast in silver. On the left, Saint Ambrose and on the right, St Borromeo.

After more interior Duomo overload, we emerged back out into the late afternoon sun and found our way to a food merchant to the rich and famous - Peck. You could tell by the food choices, elaborate displays, and the prices (!) that this was no ordinary grocery store! Lobster anyone?

The deli...

Fresh fruit and vegetables come with matronly service...

Looking into the eyes of your chicken dinner. Plus, you get some fly tying materials.

So many choices!

After visiting Peck, we went in search of the dinner restaurant recommended by our apartment host for it's authentic Milanese food. We struggled, but eventually found it before it had opened for the evening. We looked over the menu and it seemed not that interesting and overly expensive so we fell into an old habitat and just got gelato instead before returning to the hotel, pre-packing for the next day's travel and getting ready for bed.