In May 2024, daughter Jill and I cruised the Mediterranean, with port stops in Spain, France, Italy, and Malta, and spent two days sightseeing in Barcelona. Our holiday was memorable from start to finish!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our Mediterranean Holiday.
This story, part of a series, is about our day in Milan.
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our Mediterranean Holiday.
This story, part of a series, is about our day in Milan.
Jill and me at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Genoa, Italy (May 12, 2024) “Dad, will you go to Milan with me when we reach Genoa?” Jill texted one day in April as we made plans for our upcoming cruise.
I hemmed and hawed—because the drive time was one and three-quarter hours each way—but in the end, I said “Yes,” and with that, she booked ‘Magnificent Milano’ for two—a guided walking tour that promised to “unveil some of Milan’s best spots,” with free time to eat, shop, and explore.
I hemmed and hawed—because the drive time was one and three-quarter hours each way—but in the end, I said “Yes,” and with that, she booked ‘Magnificent Milano’ for two—a guided walking tour that promised to “unveil some of Milan’s best spots,” with free time to eat, shop, and explore.
I was up early—5AM—and knew I wasn’t going back to sleep. So, I showered, dressed, and went to the Yacht Club lounge to watch the sun rise as I sipped a cup of caffe Americano. (Awful stuff, if you ask me!)
An hour or so later, Jill met me in the Yacht Club Restaurant for breakfast, and at 7:45 we joined 40 fellow passengers from World Europa on a motorcoach bound for Milan.
The scenery made for a pleasant drive—hills and mountains covered by lush forests, acres and acres of farmland that supported cereal grasses and other crops, an occasional vineyard, and small towns—Serra Ricco, Ronco Scivia, and Casei Gerola, to name a few—each with a steepled church.
We reached the outskirts of Milan at half past nine, and twenty minutes later we deboarded the bus and followed our guide to Castello Sforzesco—Sforza Castle—a medieval fortification built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, that served as a defensive fortress, ducal residence, and military barracks. It was enlarged and renovated in the 16th and 17th centuries, and for a time it was one of the largest citadels in Europe.
The scenery made for a pleasant drive—hills and mountains covered by lush forests, acres and acres of farmland that supported cereal grasses and other crops, an occasional vineyard, and small towns—Serra Ricco, Ronco Scivia, and Casei Gerola, to name a few—each with a steepled church.
We reached the outskirts of Milan at half past nine, and twenty minutes later we deboarded the bus and followed our guide to Castello Sforzesco—Sforza Castle—a medieval fortification built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, that served as a defensive fortress, ducal residence, and military barracks. It was enlarged and renovated in the 16th and 17th centuries, and for a time it was one of the largest citadels in Europe.
The original Filarete Tower, the ‘centerpiece’ of Castello Sforzesco, was completed in 1521…and collapsed a century later. It was rebuilt and unveiled in 1905—true to the original design except for the addition of a clock with a “radiant sun motif inspired by the Sforza coat of arms.”
There’s a statue of Saint Ambrose, a theologian who served as Bishop of Milan in the second half of the 4th century, directly below the clock, and to his right and left are painted coats of arms of six members of the Sforza family.
There’s a statue of Saint Ambrose, a theologian who served as Bishop of Milan in the second half of the 4th century, directly below the clock, and to his right and left are painted coats of arms of six members of the Sforza family.
Porta del Barcho, in the left-hand photo below, is one of many entrances to the castle…and it was the one we walked through when we arrived. Our first stop was in Cortile della Rocchetta—the Rocchetta Courtyard. (Why? Because that was where the public restrooms were located…and it had been a long ride from the ship!) From outside the castle, this courtyard appeared bunker-like because the walls were tall and windowless. Not so inside the courtyard, though, which was restored between 2010 and 2013.
|
|
The Santo Spirito tower, in the background of the photo that follows, is one of two round towers—the other is Carmine—included in the original design to strengthen the side of the castle that faced Milan.
The photo below on the left is Corte Ducale, a wing of the castle that once served as the ducal residence and now houses the Museo d’Art Antica—the Museum of Ancient Art. The photo on the right is Torre Falconiera—Falconer Tower—which houses Leonardo da Vinci’s Room of the Wooden Boards, a “remarkable painting in tempera on plaster…dating from around 1498.”
|
|
Castello Sforzesco was interesting and historically significant, and it might well be what helped make Milan magnificent. But the true magnificence of the castle, I suspected—at least in my mind’s eye—was what was contained within the many rooms opened to the public, the places we did not visit, like Torre Falconiera. (“No time,” said our guide.)
As we walked from the castle towards the Milan’s historic center, known as Centro Storico, we stopped to admire a monument of Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian general who, as one of the ‘fathers of the fatherland,’ helped create the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
As we walked from the castle towards the Milan’s historic center, known as Centro Storico, we stopped to admire a monument of Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian general who, as one of the ‘fathers of the fatherland,’ helped create the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
The main road through Centro Storico—a pedestrian-only thoroughfare—is Via Dante, and that was the road we followed. I loved the architecture of the buildings we passed, especially the Gothic artworks that adorned many a facade.
|
|
|
Soon we stood in Piazza della Scala, a public square named after Teatro alla Scala, the world-famous opera house. I spied the opera house, which opened in 1778, but as you can see from this photo, there wasn’t much to see beyond the scaffolding that encased the façade.
|
However, I did have a clear view of Monumento a Leonard da Vinci—a statue of da Vinci by sculptor Pietro Magni unveiled in 1872. There are four full-length statues below da Vinci—his students Boltraffio, d’Oggiono, da Sesto, and Salaino.
I neglected to mention this earlier: Our guide, who was Italian, made her remarks in five languages—English, Italian, Spanish, French, and German—to accommodate our multi-lingual group. Although a bit tedious to listen to at times, it was remarkable to hear her easily transition from language to the next, repeating the same words in a different language each time. |
|
|
More than once, Jill remarked, “Given the choice between $1 million and being able to speak five languages, I’d choose five languages every time!”
And then from Piazza della Scala, we made our way to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The Galleria—built between 1865 and 1877, it is Italy’s oldest active shopping gallery—is a four-story double (intersecting) arcade beneath a vaulted-glass roof domed in the center. The iron and cast-iron ribbing that holds the glass weighs more than 350 tons! Okay, I thought. This is impressive! |
|
|
Do you see the octagon-shaped design on the floor in the right-hand photo above? It’s a skylight that provides natural light to underground floors with shops and warehouses. When the Galleria was first opened, “ladies feared that someone might peek under their voluminous skirts through those windows.”
(Someone probably did!)
“The Galleria is a jewel of Milan architecture—a neoclassical building named after King Victor Emmanuel II,” said our guide (in five languages). “You will find some of Milan’s oldest shops and restaurants here, as well a luxury hotel and apartments.” And then she pointed up to the mosaics—there are four—that adorned the half-moon-shaped spaces high above the central octagon. “Each of the four mosaics is a visual representation of the four major continents—Europe, Africa, America, and Asia—intended to emphasize Milan’s international role.”
(The mosaic in the photo below right is ‘America.’)
(Someone probably did!)
“The Galleria is a jewel of Milan architecture—a neoclassical building named after King Victor Emmanuel II,” said our guide (in five languages). “You will find some of Milan’s oldest shops and restaurants here, as well a luxury hotel and apartments.” And then she pointed up to the mosaics—there are four—that adorned the half-moon-shaped spaces high above the central octagon. “Each of the four mosaics is a visual representation of the four major continents—Europe, Africa, America, and Asia—intended to emphasize Milan’s international role.”
(The mosaic in the photo below right is ‘America.’)
|
|
“We have one more stop,” our guide said, “and it is magnificent.”
Guess what? It was!!!
Guess what? It was!!!
We walked along the longer of the two intersecting arcades to Piazza del Duomo—Cathedral Square—which marked the geographical and cultural center of Milan. It wasn’t the square, though, that was magnificent—at least, not in my eyes. Rather, it was the building that dominated the square—Milan Cathedral, formally known as Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary.
(I know that the bright orb in the sky above the cathedral was the sun, but I like to think of it as God shining down his countenance on this magnificent church!)
Work on the cathedral began in 1386, and it took almost six centuries to complete…and even then, it took nearly another century to flesh out the final details. When completed, it was the largest church in Italy—bigger than St. Peter’s Basilica—and the third largest church in the world.
Work on the cathedral began in 1386, and it took almost six centuries to complete…and even then, it took nearly another century to flesh out the final details. When completed, it was the largest church in Italy—bigger than St. Peter’s Basilica—and the third largest church in the world.
|
|
The façade, which was the last element of the church to be completed, was designed in the Roman style—columns, obelisks, and large, semicircular decorations over the entrance—with some neo-Gothic details. It was renovated over a period of six years after the turn of the current century to reveal the original colors of its Candoglia marble—a distinctive pink marble quarried in the Mergozzo district north of Milan.
|
|
“Can I go inside?” I asked our guide.
“You can,” she replied, “but you will wait a long time because the cathedral will be crowded with parishioners there to attend Sunday Mass. I am afraid that your wait will be longer than the time you have.”
(Later, when I was back on board the World Europa, I went online to view images of the interior of the cathedral. OMG—IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! Well, perhaps another time.)
And that was the end of our guided tour.
“You can,” she replied, “but you will wait a long time because the cathedral will be crowded with parishioners there to attend Sunday Mass. I am afraid that your wait will be longer than the time you have.”
(Later, when I was back on board the World Europa, I went online to view images of the interior of the cathedral. OMG—IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! Well, perhaps another time.)
And that was the end of our guided tour.
|
“Time for a bite to eat and a bit of shopping,” said Jill.
“Okay,” I replied, “but first let’s have a look-see at that monument in the square. It was a monument to King Victor Emmanuele II—an impressive equestrian statue made of bronze installed in 1896 to honor Italy’s first king (1849-1861). We wandered a bit through the historic district in search of a restaurant for lunch. We found one, which I won’t name because the food was ‘meh.’ (Jill’s comment: “This is the worst pizza I’ve ever had in Italy.” ‘Nuf said.) |
And then we meandered along Via Dante in the direction of the castle. Jill hoped to buy a purse, and I planned to buy one for Debra, my wife, if Jill found the right shop. Shopping proved to be as disappointing as our lunch, as all the sores with purses were high end retailers selling international labels.
“I think we’ll have better luck in Sorrento tomorrow,” she said.
And we did.
We met up with our fellow passengers in the Rocchetta Courtyard, and from there we followed our guide to the motorcoach, which whisked us to the cruise port in Genoa.
While I had hoped for more of the ‘magnificent’ of Milano than (IMHO) our tour delivered, I nevertheless enjoyed my time in Italy’s second largest city, where I ‘tasted’ its rich history and culture. If there is a ‘next time’ for me, I’ll be sure to fully explore the most important landmarks I saw this day—Castello Sforzesco, La Scala, and Milan Cathedral—and others I missed.
“I think we’ll have better luck in Sorrento tomorrow,” she said.
And we did.
We met up with our fellow passengers in the Rocchetta Courtyard, and from there we followed our guide to the motorcoach, which whisked us to the cruise port in Genoa.
While I had hoped for more of the ‘magnificent’ of Milano than (IMHO) our tour delivered, I nevertheless enjoyed my time in Italy’s second largest city, where I ‘tasted’ its rich history and culture. If there is a ‘next time’ for me, I’ll be sure to fully explore the most important landmarks I saw this day—Castello Sforzesco, La Scala, and Milan Cathedral—and others I missed.
This evening, I corrected an earlier mistake with an outstanding dinner in the Yacht Club Restaurant—creamy tomato soup, wedge salad, veal chop (out-of-this-world delicious!), and a double scoop of sorbet. Then Jill and I watched a high-energy performance in the World Europa Theater—EKO, Recycled Rock, where the sets were built completely from recycled products. And before we called it a day, we had drinks at the well-stocked Gin Project, one of the many lounges on the World Europa.
All in all, I had a GREAT day!