of course no one can photograph inside the refectory and you are watched like a hawk
One of the tickets most sought after in Milano is the one to enter to gaze upon The Last Supper. Last time I visited we were unable to secure an entry and so, upon the prodding of Ryan, I wrote early to our hotel and they secured two tickets for 8:30 am on our second morning in Milan.
I don’t think anyone would argue that having the opportunity to gaze upon this mural from Leonardo da Vinci – the one work of art that perhaps captures the centerpiece of the mystery of Christianity, commenced in 1495 and residing adjacent to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milano is one of the best reasons to come here. George and I awoke early, drained our coffee cups more than a couple of times, tried to clear our heads and, not wanting to be late, took a quick cab ride down the Corso Magenta to the Church in the early morning crisp and stunning air. We were told to arrive at least 20 minutes ahead of time. Of course, we were not the first ones to arrive and the venue was already stirring with anticipation. There is much controversy about the condition of the painting, the technique he used in its creation and the subsequent restorations. While all of this is fine, it is still a great opportunity to see the work and spend the 15 allowed minutes, visiting with this masterpiece. Perhaps the most notable recent, aka 20th century fact about The Last Supper is its miraculous survival during the bombings of World War II. Just another mystery of life to ponder, no?
Anyway, we enjoyed the time preceding our entry, having the cool air and lovely prelude to autumn feelings envelop us as we anticipated what it would really be like to see the painting.
One of the things I find particularly amazing is to observe what is a seemingly mundane street in a town or city and arrive at an otherwise not-so-distinct-looking venue and then, slip through a simple door of sorts and have before you one of the greatest works of art in history. There is little fanfare in and around the site and you just get into your queue and wait your turn. Everyone is relatively quiet and subdued, some come with guides to see, and the aura there is strangely like waiting in line at someone’s wake. Make no mistake about it though, it is a humbling experience to set your eyes upon this work and contemplate the mysteries around its stories and origin. Who is the person sitting next to Jesus is perhaps the greatest question of our time as relates to a work of art. No matter your religious beliefs and attachments, this is a worthy destination if you get the chance.
In and around Santa Maria delle Grazie:
I am no art history expert nor a connoisseur of art restoration techniques – both of which are valuable when doing things such as this, but still, I was able to appreciate the opportunity to come here and ponder and try to attach a snapshot of remembrance to my old brain.
Afterwards, we strolled back along the Corso Magenta and went on with our morning, fighting the urge to return to bed. The beautiful day helped encourage us quite a bit. Strolling around Milan is fun and, taking in the great shopping experiences is one of the great draws here. It is indeed fun to imagine all the lucky people who work in the fashion industry who get to come here and enjoy the side benefits of the fruits of their labor. As with most major cities nowadays, the major fashion companies dominate the landscape and you can’t help wince a bit at the duplicative visuals of the ubiquitous faces of the likes of Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci, Tods, Dior, Versace, Armani, Valentino,Cartier, etc. as you stroll around the Quadrilatero della Moda. Oh well, you have to say to yourself, this is the way it is and you have to say at least you are in the seat of “central control” of a lot of these companies as opposed to seeing the same scene in lots of other cities. Anyway, this is for sure, one of shopping’s best-ever venues. The one thing I have to say about European shopping in general, as I have before (see my posts from London) is that the Europeans have done such a better job in excluding the shoddy quality of manufacturing that we are bombarded with in the U.S.
It is lovely and refreshingly positive to be in the hub of the best quality of clothing in the world. Even if you can not afford to buy one little thing, it is great to see the quality of clothing and accessories available here and to embrace the commitment to the most beautiful, textiles,especially woolens in the world. What man or woman wouldn’t die to have a bespoke suit from Milan? How lucky are these people to have access to, if not owning, at least seeing these great items throughout their lives. Makes one visit to J Crew or the Gap fill one with, well, if not shame, some degree of conflict – and sorry if that offends anyone.
Summing up on what felt like a too short visit to Milan, we took the elevator up in the Duomo and I was lucky enough to snap a few photos which capture a minuscule essence of the beauty there, as well as a few more memories from this city that I would not hesitate to return to. You will note the change in weather, challenging my fundamental edict that it is always sunny in Italy:
Duomo shots also added to yesterday’s post – George was particularly enamored of the flying buttresses:
at the Teatro alla Scala
a few of the many faces of Milan:
of course can’t resist:
one of my favorite shots:
reminding me of a similar shot in Rome, just plain charming………
shopping, shopping:
facades: would just love one short time to know and understand the people who conceived of all of these – one huge statement, one huge commitment – love……….
off, already on the train to Lake Como……………..