Milan, Italy

The last trip I took my friend Destiny to before she left for the states was Milan.  A simple day trip to the fashion capital of Italy.  Milan is a large city.  The fifth largest in the EU and it is nothing like the coast of southern Italy which I had grown to like.  Milan is actually nothing like I had pictured it.

As with most of my day trips in a foreign city, the goal isn't to unveil some unseen side of the city, but to see as much of the tourist sites as possible since I only have a limited amount of time.  We arrived early in the morning and got a breakfast of a croissant and coffee at a little cafe.  Then we headed to the Castello Sforzesco.  The castle was built in the 15th century and features a drawbridge and moat (the most important components of a castle, right?).  There is a museum you can access in the castle, however, I just spent a little time walking around the outside of the castle.

Next, we headed to the Santa Maria delle Grazie church.  Just like Barcelona is all about Gaudi, Milan is all about da Vinci.  This church was so important for me to see because it housed the location of the original painting by Leonardo da Vinco, "The Last Supper."  It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The image is important because it is one of the most widely recognized paintings in the world.  It was painted around 1490 and it is a miracle that it has survived.

The painting went through many changes in ownership and was not protected as artwork would be protected today.  The mural covers and entire wall and I have to admit that I was very moved by this image.  Seeing such an old image that I've read about in books and seen on tv was a amazing!

At the Last Supper, this is where Jesus would reveal to his apostles that one of them would betray him.  The image of the Last Supper is the apostles' reaction to this shocking inforamtion Jesus had given to them.  Even knowing this information, Jesus continues to wash the feet of the apostles the day before his inevitable crucifixion.  On the other side of the room you can also see a large fresco of the Crucifixion by Gaudenzio Ferrari in 1513.

I'd recommend getting tickets online to see the paintings.  When we arrived they told us we needed reservations, but we arrived early enough at the church that we made them there and them returned later to see the paintings.  You get to see them for about 15 minutes before the next group is ushered in.  Unfortunately I was not able to take any photos.  They are very strict about this policy.

If you walk outside of the church you can see a shop nearby called Cartoleria. I recommend stopping in and having a look while speaking to the owner.  He is an older gentleman with such a great personality.  This shop, he proudly told us, is very famous.  And then he went on to tell us about all the books his one of a kind shop is featured in and that Mel Gibson was there last week. 

The man is a book binder and makes the loveliest bound books and stationary and his family has had this business for over 150 years.  The best part about this shop are the prices.  I couldn't beleive how cheap these handcrafted paper goods were.  I bought some notebooks with maps on them and also one with da Vinci's Vetruvian Man, which is one of my favorite images.

Later we headed downtown for some lunch.  I know Italy is famous for their pasta so I had some pasta with clams.  In Milan, I also had the most deliscious pistacio connoli.  I know I'd said in Naples that I wasn't really that impressed with their cannoli but this cannoli had redeemed itself.

During our trip to Milan, we also did some light shopping.  I say light mostly because the high end stores in Milan are made for the wealthy and perhaps if I had a couple thousand dollars to blow at the Prada flagship store in the Galleria, I would have enjoyed Milan a little more.  Another reason we had to do a bit of shopping is because you cannot enter the Duomo without covering most of your legs and shoulders.

The Duomo in Milan is a Gothic cathedral with building beginning in 1386.  It took 6 centuries to finish and its pretty massive.  You can go to the top of the Duomo for cities views, which I suggest.  There is a rather long line for tickets which cost about 7 euro to walk the stairs or 12 euros to take a lift.  Once you are on top you can see almost all of Milan.  It's worth the climb to the top.

Later in the day we headed back to Germany.  I pretty much did everything I set out to do in Milan.  Though a large city, the sites I mentioned above are walkable.  

Above, Castello Sforzesco

Source

As I'd mentioned before, Milan is not like I had imagined. I was actually pretty underwhelmed with Milan and I probably wouldn't return. There are so many more beautiful places in Italy that I would rather go.  I think, like I said earlier that since this city is based around fashion, that having a shopping spree here for the average person is just not feasable, but otherwise everything else isn't super expensive.  I am however, very happy that I got to see and experience "The Last Supper."  If anything go for that.

If you'd like to read more about my adventures in Italy, you can follow the links below:
Venice, Italy | Bari, Italy | Naples, Italy | The Island of Capri | Anacapri from the Clouds | Pompeii, Italy | Dali Exhibit in Sorrento, Italy | Dinner in Downtown Naples

Ever been to Milan?  What are your thoughts on this city? I'd love to know in the comments.

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