Northern Italy Trip, Days 7 & 8: Milano

Our lasts days in Northern Italy were spent in Milano, the fashion capital of the world. After getting off the train, many of us had the same thought: this place kind of looks like DC. Unlike the other Italian cities we had visited, Milano boasts a healthy variety of both old and contemporary architecture.

Il Duomo, Milano

Our first stop was the Duomo of Milano. This was the first Gothic church I had seen all semester (there is only one Gothic church in Rome, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, and, though I've walked past it many times, I haven't been inside yet). It was very beautiful, and it was interesting to see Gothic elements like the flying buttresses and gargoyles up close on the roof of the church.

Interior of Il Duomo, Milano

Flying Buttresses

After our visit to the Duomo, we walked down the Galleria Victor Emmanuel II, two segments of perpendicular streets covered by glass vaults and a dome at the crossing. Then a group of us went to the newly opened Nove Cento Museum. There were some really interesting paintings there, though the coolest exhibits were the interactive sculptures with their strobe lights, mirrors, and motors.

The next day, we went on a tour of contemporary architecture in Milano. For me, the highlight of the tour was Renzo Piano's Il Sole 24 Ore. He created some really neat spaces there, and I was particularly intrigued by the glass elevators that protruded out from the building in the courtyard. When they moved up and down, what would otherwise have been an ugly elevator shaft became a dynamic feature of the courtyard facade.

Il Sole 24 Ore Interior