Italy – Day 4 – More of Milan

The long day in Florence ended even later than expected. It was Sunday and close to midnight and not all city services were running. Duh. This fact only sank in after we took the first of the two subway lines from Central Station to our hotel…which sits at the end of the Purple Line…and was closed for the night. We went above ground and after some interesting encounters finally flagged a cab that got us “home.”

We didn’t get to bed until after 2 AM and stayed there until noon. Today became a shorter day of touring to find some of the lesser known sights in Milan.

Exterior, Santa Maria presso San Satiro,

Milan (19 February 2018)

Completed in 1482, the church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro is this oddly-shaped chapel closely surrounded by modern high-rise buildings. Apparently, the lot was similarly confined 500+ years ago and they had to build accordingly. Offsetting these restrictions, the architect, encouraged to ‘enlarge the space’, produced one of the earliest and best examples of trompe l’oeil. Called ‘forced perspective’ in architecture, the design is an optical illusion that conveys greater (or lesser) depth than actually is.

Interior, Santa Maria presso San Satiro, Milan (19 February 2018)

The deep-looking space behind the altar actually measures about three feet. The illusion is fascinating. More examples of trompe l’oeil can be seen at the link highlighted above.

A few blocks from the Duomo is San Bernardino alle Ossa. As the name implies, the place has something to do with bones…like you can’t imagine. The church was adjacent to a hospital and cemetery and when the cemetery ran out of space in 1210, the church built a special chapel and incorporated skulls and bones into the décor.

San Bernardino alle Osso, Milan (19 February 2018)

A place or object that collects skeletal remains is called an ossuary. A chest or a room or the Catacombs of Paris (which contain the remains of six million people) are ossuaries. I don’t know. I guess in those days, graves were not the venerated last resting places we think they are today. On the other hand, knowing that Uncle Guido is part of this monumental decoration in a holy chapel might bring some solace.

San Bernardino alle Osso, Milan (19 February 2018)

The day wound down. We passed the Duomo one last time on the way to the subway and our hotel. Smaller crowds made it easier to pause and appreciate the exquisite doors of the cathedral.

Detail, Central Door of the Milan Duomo (19 February 2008)

Executed in the late 19th century, the doors are the work of the Milanese artist, Lodovico Pogliaghi, a noted painter, sculptor and decorator.

Tomorrow, we leave for the States in the afternoon and Beck made one last reservation to see a Milan classic in the morning…or thought she did. When we were here in 1999, we were unable to see Leonardo’s classic ‘Last Supper’ fresco because the church was closed for the ubiquitous pre-Millennium renovation. Another word to the wise. When reserving tickets on line, pay attention to the possibility that you might be required to scroll further down on the page and click that final ‘accept’ button. She missed that command and we were shut out of that very popular attraction…again.

Day 5 will be a ‘Plan B’ affair.

The Washington Monument: Other Perspectives

It is hard to take an outdoor picture in our nation’s capital without including the Washington Monument. After all, at 555 feet, it is (still) the tallest stone building in the world. The Great Pyramid at Giza is 481 feet tall. Until 1889 when the Eifel Tower was completed, it was the tallest structure of any kind in the world.

Through the Columns of the Lincoln Memorial (October, 1984)

Taken 34 years ago, it was a time when one could walk around 

the perimeter of the Lincoln Memorial on the main level. For

many years after that, the sides of the structure were closed 

to the public…which made it impossible to repeat this perspective.

There were proposals to build a monument to the ‘Father of Our Country’ even before his death in 1799. When the monument movement intensified in the 1830’s, elaborate designs were considered but a lack of money reduced the final plan to the obelisk we see today.

Begun in 1848, construction was suspended for 23 years for lack of funds and that messy little War Between the States.

Emerging from the Museum of Natural History (23 July 2015)

One day, I emerged from the National Gallery of Art 

and walked toward the Natural History Museum. The 

juxtaposition was too cute to resist and I had to take the shot.

The monument was dedicated in 1885 and open to the public on October 9, 1888. One can reach the observation deck by elevator or by climbing nearly 900 steps. I can confirm that the views out the tiny windows are less than breathtaking.

Reflected in the Viet Nam Wall (October, 1984)

The Viet Nam Memorial was only two years old when

I visited Washington. After all the controversies surrounding

its establishment, ‘The Wall’ was very popular and well 

on its way to becoming a shrine. The Washington 

Monument is reflected off the polished black granite.

While you western readers might have scoffed at the hubbub we generated after the magnitude 5.8 earthquake that happened in nearby Virginia on 23 August 2011, significant damage occurred to the monument. There were cracks, stone chips broken free and other issues to repair. Almost three years and $15 million later, the monument reopened to the public.

Between 1998 and 2000, extensive renovations were performed on the monument. In addition to cleaning and repairing elements and functions of the building, all the mortar filling the spaces between the marble blocks was renewed.

Under Renovation at Dusk (October, 1999)

I was living in Maryland by this time and probably brought the 

camera to a business meeting so I could shoot the Monument 

all lit up under scaffolding. Sometimes, they changed the colors 

of the lights to make the structure even more striking. 

Happy (Belated) Birthday, America.