Milan

Rooftops of Milan

Ryan and I made another trip to Italy to visit Ryan’s worksites.  This trip we decided to drive instead of fly. On our return we spent a day in Milan. Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and a major world fashion and design capital. 

Duomo di Milano

  During our visit to Milan we stopped to admire the Milan Cathedral or Duomo di Milano. This cathedral is the fifth largest cathedral in the world. The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete.  Construction began in 1386 and the cathedral was finally completed in 1965. The Cathedral is located in the Piazza del Duomo or “Cathedral Square” is the main piazza of Milan. The 14^th century piazza marks the center of the city, both in a geographic sense and because of its social importance.

Piazza del Duomo

Galleria Vittorio Emanele II

Of course while we were in the “fashion capital of the world” we had to do some window-shopping. Our first stop was the world’s oldest shopping mall the Galleria Vittorio Emanele II.  The mall is housed within a four-storey double arcade in central Milan. The 18^th century glass and iron covered gallery is home to many beautiful shops, restaurants and cafes. Prada's flagship store has been in business here since 1913. The ceiling vaults are decorated with mosaics representing Asia, Africa, Europe and America. The reliefs on the mosaic floor represent the cities of Milan, Rome, Florence and Turin. Our second stop was the “Golden Triangle”, the name given to Milan’s famous shopping streets. 

Fountain in front of Sforza Castle

 Sforza Castle was built in the 15^th century on the remains of a 14^th century fortification. The Castle was later renovated and enlarged in the 16^th and 17^th centuries making it one of the largest citadels in Europe. Today Sforza houses several of the city’s museums and art collections. After admiring the castle we spent time relaxing and enjoying the beautiful fountain in front of the castle. 

Sforza Castle

Sforza Castle

 On our way home we traveled through Switzerland and were lucky enough to find Saint Gotthard Pass open. St. Gotthard Pass is a high mountain pass in the Lepontine Alps of southern Switzerland. The pass lies at an elevation of 6,916 feet and is 16 miles long. The first road over the pass was opened in 1830. We endured the winding roads and enjoyed the spectacular views

View From St. Gotthard Pass