A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to go on an overnight with my hubby, not just any overnight though, we went up to Milan to see Dave Mathews Band!!  I have no pictures of the concert...none.  I must say, it was nice to walk around not carrying my bulky camera, no purse, nothing!  

I did carry my camera around for the rest of the getaway...I mean seriously!  Let's talk about Milan though.  The day before, I ran to the library praying that a Rick Steves Milan book would be available.  We enjoy his commentary and walking around knowing what we are looking.  His walking tours through cities are pretty fun too.  Luckily, there was one available.  There isn't much to see in Milan, and fortunately our main goals were to get to the concert and see the Duomo...it was a very laid back 36 hours.

 The duomo is outstanding!  It is the fourth largest in Europe, behind the Vatican's, London's and Seville's.  Let me tell you, it was cavernous.  The Steves told us there are more than 2000 statues on the inside and 100's of statues on the outside...they are everywhere!  "Made between the 14th and 20th centuries by sculptors from all over Europe," says Rick, and each one is different.  We did the tower walk first, walking amongst the spires and getting a closer look at the statues gracing the tiptop of the cathedral.

A few tidbits about the cathedral: 

The first stones were laid in 1390 and the work was completed 1810

Steves says, "This construction project originated the Italian phrase for "neverending": "like building a cathedral."

It is built from marble, the entire thing.  Not just any marble, but Pink Candoglia marble rafted in from a quarry about 60 miles away.

Inside there are "52 one-hundred-foot-tall, sequoia sized pillars" representing the weeks of the year, each pillar topped with 8 statues.

It was built to house 40,000 worshippers, the population of Milan when construction started.  

The interior of the church leaves you feeling miniscule.  The size is hard to take in all at once and you have to allow a few minutes for your eyes to adjust.  From the stained glass windows to the 2000 statues, it was a bit overwhelming and magnificent.  There is one very noteworthy piece in this church, and two other pieces that stood out to me.  The first, and unless you know it's there you will miss it, is the tiny red light above the altar.  Rick Steves tells us that this red light on a cross indicates the home of one of the nails from the crucifixion of Jesus brought to Milan by St. Helen in the fourth-century when Milan was the capital of the Western Roman Empire.  I have no words for that...just WOW.   The second is the statue of St. Bartolomeo, "an apostle and first-century martyr skinned alive by the Romans."  It is an incredible work of art, grotesque and magnificent.  The Steves told us to walk behind to see that St. Bartolomeo is carrying his own skin, wearing it like a robe in fact.  The statue was carved by a student of da Vinci's.  Sean and I had a great time showing other tourists this detail of the statue.   The third piece to not miss is the huge plaque outlining the uninterrupted rule of 144 local archbishops starting in the year 51 A.D.  Now that's history through the ages!  No picture for that one, but here's a few more from the cathedral. 

Sean and I did get the opportunity to wander the streets of Milan, stare in amazement at the Dolci & Gabanna dresses for $10,000+, check out the multiple Lambourginis, Porsches, Rolls Royces, and belly up to the cappuccino bar in the theater district amongst the uber-chic Italians going to the theater.  It was fun and entertaining, and the concert was awesome, in usual DMB fashion.  

I hope you enjoyed a taste of Milan.  

Happy Halloween!!

Mackenzie