Milano isn't just models and Prada bags

Vittorio Emanuel II Gallery

This was a surprising discovery for us.  Though, we did meet a Brazilian model on the train, who told us he was ecstatic to have landed a modeling contract at the age of 19.  And it's clear that this is one of the fashion capitals of the world, with high-end shopping at every turn.  On our way to the Duomo, we basically stumbled across one of Milan's premier shopping venues. The Vittorio Emanuel II Gallery has four storey buildings on both sides, connected with glass vaulted ceilings and an "intersection" in the middle, which leads to Piazza della Scala, Piazza del Duomo and two other streets.  Whether it's designer shoes, luxury clothing, cigars, fine dining or a cappuccino, you've come to the right place, provided you've got the wallet for it.

the Duomo of Milan

Milano was only on our itinerary as a necessary stop-over between Nice and Napoli.  Yet we found we were happy to spend a day here; it's a beautiful, clean city, with it's fair share of important monuments, churches and gardens.  For example, it turns out that the Duomo of Milano is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world.  This impressive cathedral has taken over 5 centuries to build; it's last gate was inaugurated in 1965.  Though it's considered finished, there are still some blocks remaining to be carved into statues. Given the number of spires reaching for the sky, it would be well-nigh impossible to find these.  I found it interesting to learn that the interior of the Duomo underwent renovations several hundred years ago because of the Council of Trent in the 1500s.  Among other reforms to Catholicism, the Council called for the simplification of church interiors.  Churches had become cluttered with many family altars, rich tombs, ornaments, lay monuments, banners and arms - all distracting the faithful from the singular purpose of the Sacrifice of the Mass.  The bishop of Milan, cardinal Charles Borromeo was a key player in the Council of Trent, and so decided to make the Duomo the official standard to which all other churches should be measured.  He hired the engineer Pelligrini to head the necessary renovations, which involved adding choir stalls, removing the personal monuments (even those of his own relatives) and installing a prominent main altar with the tabernacle visible.  Among the usual statues of the saints, we were startled by that of St. Bartholomew.  This grisly depiction by Marco D'Agrate shows a muscular and sinewy saint without flesh who is, bizarrely, holding his skin.  It's believed he was martyred by being skinned alive.

St Bartholomew

Teatro della Scala, more famously known as "La Scala", was another treat.  Constructed in the late 1700s for the elite, the stage of this theatre saw many venerable composers & musicians, such as Rossini, Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti and Toscanini.  To this day, it remains one of the world's top opera houses, and the tickets are both highly sought after and fairly pricey.  But we took a peak into the auditorium, where technicians were performing light checks, and wandered through the La Scala Museum.  It housed such gems as a lock of Mozart's hair, a plaster cast of the hands of Verdi and Chopin, and a Steinway piano that belonged to Franz Liszt.  Too bad we weren't permitted to take any photos.  For a music lover, this museum was a worthwhile find, full of ancient instruments, books, documents, paintings and costumes.  

Arch of Peace

Milano also has many castles, and we were able to check out one of them, the 14th century Sforza Castle.  Upon leaving the castle, we were greeted with the Arch of Peace.  It's construction initially began under Napoleon, who was quite enamoured with the city of Milano.  Somewhat prematurely, he intended that the arch would commemorate his victory... but he was then defeated at Waterloo. The arch was ultimately finished some years later by others and dedicated to European Peace.