we were using things up,
ergo pastries for breakfast
(poor me)
and - sigh -
what a view
we've enjoyed you, Milan!
& will be squeezing every last drop
out of this last day...
we'd gone past it every day
(sometimes multiple times each day,
depending upon our walking route),
so we finally decided to visit
it, actually, abuts one of our favorite churches,
and was just down the Corso Magenta
from our place
bits & bobs of Milan's old city walls remain...
those at the Archaeological Museum
are the medieval walls -
largely to defend against Barbarossa
("Red Beard" or Kaiser Rotbart
to his fellow Germans)
who was many things across his life
including Holy Roman Emperor
starting in 1155 AD
[drowning in 1190 during the Third Crusade
while attempting to cross
the Saleph River in Silifke, Turkey
& buried in Antioch {his flesh},
in Tyre {his bones}, and in Tarsus {his organs}]
so Milan needed WALLS
Noblewoman from Palmyra in Syria, 2nd century
Colossal Head of Jupiter, second half of 1st century
probably in a Milanese temple
discovered near Sforza Castle's
Jupiter Gate
statue of Hercules at Rest
first half of 2nd century
found near the Church of San Vito al Pasquirolo
between Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Corso Europa
in the location of a "thermal complex"
called the Herculean Baths
(leaf added in the 1800's)
(4th century AD)
part of a funeral "kit" laid in a
marble sarcophagus discovered
in the Novara region of Italy
forgive me for not remembering
that we read left to right...
BIBE VIVAS MULTIS ANNIS
"drink & you will live long"
there are only 50 known to exist,
and the one in Milan is the only one
without any damage
mosaic floor from 3rd century,
discovered during excavation
of the crypt of Church of Saint John in Conca
at Piazza Missori in Milan
glass cross pendant
4th-6th century
depiction of Fortune & Abundance
on "the Decorated Altar"
end of 1st / start of 2nd century
(found in Via Circo, Milan)
with cornucopia & a wheel,
symbolic of fate
(which is an interesting pairing,
but apt when abundance appears to be
a fickle mistress)
Roman Milan (Mediolanum)
the church at the very bottom of this diorama
is the Church of Saint Ambrose
the complex of San Maurizio
& the Maggiore Monastery,
of which little remains
the Polygonal Tower
from the old Roman Walls!
& on the path there...
wish i could read Latin
here's a bit of commentary
why, it's an apple tree!
so, when the monastery incorporated
the polygonal tower into its complex,
they frescoed it up
& used it as a chapel
on the left side is depicted
Saint Francis receiving the stigmata
(depicted coming from the golden beams of the angel)
my imagination always goes to the people,
so like us but so long ago,
whose hands made these bricks
and built this tower
narrow arrow slots
from its first life
as a defensive tower
oh, hey, there
the square tower that remains
just such a stunning church
just a pretty doorway
along the way :)
that brought us to...
in Terramara (Bitter/Bad Earth)
from the 11th century,
built after centuries of
barbaric invasions (Goths & Huns)
but little original remains...
& most is from 1500's and later
it has an amazing mosaic center aisle
i get the grapevines,
but is that the fountain of youth?
knowledge? wisdom?
hmmmm
a very differently-proportioned cross
than seems typical
look at the fish swimming in the stream!
lots & lots of cherubs underfoot
another good pick!
great tavern atmosphere
(and we seemed to be
the only English-speakers
in the place, so
that's always a good sign)
yummy homemade ravioli for me
warm-your-innards lentil soup for him
still feeling like Christmas!
we were doing the La Scala
Ticket Dance again
so decided to jump into the
(in between putting our name
on The List & going back
to purchase our tickets)
Johann Carl Shultz 1829
View of Milan Cathedral
Francesco Hayez 1853-54
Bianca Capello's escape from Venice
Francesco Hayez
study for Bianca Capello
Karl Eduard Biermann 1832
The Monastery of Burgeis in Tyrol
Angelo Inganni 1838
View of the cathedral in the square
with the Coperto dei Figini building
Francesco Francia c.1505
Portrait of Altobello Averoldi
Francesco Hayez 1832
Portrait of Luigia Vitali
widow of Mylius
bank teller window #18
now houses art
a beautiful space for an art museum
Roberto Crippa 1952
Spirali (Spirals)
Carla Accardi 1963
Verderosso (Green & Red)
oh, p.s., this is so my speed
just name things what they are!
Pino Pascali 1967
Baco da setola (Bristle Bug)
i LOVE this one!
& look - there's more
he made this piece only a year before his death
due to a motorcycle accident
{he was not yet 33 years old}
...it was much better in person...
Grazia Varisco 1967
Reticolo frangibile nero e rosso
(Breakable net in black & red)
Vincenzo Vela 1871
Portrait of Marquise Virginia Busti Porro
as a young girl
...good spook factor...
Umberto Boccioni 1909-10
Three Women (His Mother, his Sister, and the Sitter Ines)
another favorite of mine
just LOOK at how
he conveyed light
streaming from
the window
he died in 1916 at age 33,
thrown from a horse & trampled
during a cavalry training exercise
Francesco Filippini 1889
The First Snow
Vincenzo Irolli 1890-1900
Portrait of a Woman
Vincenzo Irolli 1900-05
The Musician Angel
Mose' Bianchi 1890
Old Milan
Francesco Valaperta 1871
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not
The Lovesick Maiden
more beautiful art environs
Arturo Ferrari 1912
In the Old Street
(Vicolo San Bernardino alle Osso)
soon it was time for La Scala
this evening - the ballet!
The Nutcracker, no less
(& Rudolf Nureyev's choreography!)
we had found our favorite third-tier balcony seats
& had them again for this show
snowflakes!
an excellent last night at La Scala!
& a swift ride back to our place
for one last sleep before...
