Our venture into Italy was based largely on the quest for… great food, right? No, no, that’s a side benefit. We wanted to see the historic architecture, especially the many cathedrals. You might recall that we have now been in a basilica in the U.S. (It’s more than just a church. We’re learning.) This time up, it’s a real cathedral, a duomo /dwō′mō/. And so, it begins!
On October 31, we drove a couple of hours south of Nesso to tour the Duomo di Milano (Cathedral of Milan), one of the largest Roman Catholic cathedrals in the world. It depends on which list/criteria you’re considering, but at any rate, it’s really BIG. Capable of holding 40,000 visitors! May as well start there.
Construction began in 1386 and wrapped up around 1965, with ongoing maintenance continuing most likely… forever.
The drive into the city center took a bit longer than we’d planned. Susie worked on the fly to identify the parking garage closest to the cathedral, and Todd made it happen, squealing in on two wheels. We then practically jogged (okay, one of us gimps…) the last few blocks to arrive just in the nick of time to meet the guide, don headsets, and head into the cathedral with the group.
It was amazing, far bigger than anything we’ve seen. Even bigger than the stunning St. Patrick’s in New York!
As expected, the cathedral is full of grand pillars, stained glass, paintings, statues, and buried saints. There are also interesting things like the “red bulb” way at the top in which is stored a nail from Christ’s crucifix and the sundial built into the floor (no photo – partly cloudy day). The place is full of history. What we had not accurately anticipated was the size of the crowd milling about, necessitating reaching up over people’s heads to snag photos. Yeah, us grumpy oldsters wanted some quiet time, not a selfie. Ha!
One of the more curious – and frankly creepy – statues in the cathedral is that of the fisherman Bartholomew (died about 70 AD), one of Christ’s Apostles, who, according to one tradition, went as far as Armenia, where he converted twelve cities to the Christian faith. In the process, he aroused the envy of the priests of the local divinities, for which he was ultimately punished – skinned alive, and beheaded. Yikes!
Created in 1562, the statue of Bartholomew is depicted still holding the Gospel in his hand. The sculpture is characterized by close attention to anatomy and without skin, which, in fact, drapes around him and down his back like a robe. All carved in stone!
Beyond the grandeur (and the bizarre), for us, one of the more fascinating parts of the tour was beneath street level, below the front of the cathedral, where we walked among the remains of two previous churches dating back to a time between the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages. Demolished to make way for the construction of the new cathedral in 1386, the ruins reflect the square where two basilicas once stood, along with the Baptistery of San Giovanni alle Fonti, built in 378! Augustine was baptized here in 387, when Milan was the capital of the Western Roman Empire.
Next, we joined the queue waiting to go up to the multi-level “terrace” (roof).
256 stairs!
Our mamas didn’t raise no dummies, as they say. The tickets included the small elevator for the ride to the first level. 🙂
We would have to take the 256 stairs back down.
The first level of terraces is approximately 101 feet off the ground. After that, two steep stairways (with no elevator option – it’s exercise time) lead to the second level 148 feet above the ground, i.e., the Central Terrace, the highest point reachable by visitors.
There are more than 3,400 statues, 150 gargoyles, 96 giants, & 410 corbels! On the roof! Oh, these crazy, wonderful Italians!
The central “Great Spire” was commissioned in 1762, and in 1765, the proposal was made to top it with a statue of the Virgin being brought to heaven.
The Madonnina has been watching over Milano since December 1774. Of course she’s been worked on throughout the years, with the last re-gilding in brilliant copper in 2012.
Back out on the piazza, we spent a few minutes watching the antics of the crowd with the pigeons and then paused for a quick selfie to prove we are cool before moving on. (Cool?? We took our selfie with a long arm and an actual camera, Honey. 🙂 )
The streets of Milan are b-u-s-y with a capital B!
Ultimately, it was quite a day. We were happy to complete the two-hour drive back – heck even yet another trip up the mountain – to the peaceful Villa Lorenza overlooking Lake Como, where we could take deep breaths and contemplate the historic, lovely duomo we’d been privileged enough to see. Thank you, Milan!
Our Travels 
very cool. Always enjoyed Italian architecture. I have a soft spot for giallo films. So ornate.
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The sense of history is amazing. Naturally the more well-known, big-ticket items are stunning, but we find the fun is also (in some cases, “more” so?) in driving through the countryside and small towns. Someone advised us that if we passed a church, no matter the size, we should not miss the opportunity to look inside because you never know what treasures you’ll see. It’s true. Way behind on the posts because there’s so much to see. Can’t wait to share!
Oh, I looked up “giallo” films – way too many gruesome plots in Rome, where we will arrive on the 20th. 😦 We could probably explore there for weeks!
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Loved the cathedral tour! Wishing you continued safe travels.
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Thank you, Robin! We’ve been so busy exploring that the blog is now nearing almost a month behind. Uh oh. And what a month! So much to see & so many photos to “process.” Hope all’s well in VA!
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