Milan Il Duomo
The Duomo, which
traditionally symbolizes the city of Milan, is the most extraordinary
example of Italian late Gothic art. It ranks third in terms of dimension
after the Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican in Rome and Seville's
Cathedral. Located in the very heart of the city the Duomo di Milano represents both the core
of the city and the unavoidable destination of countless visitors from Italy
and abroad.
Mark Twain a great fan of the Duomo di Milano, can take over the description (from Innocents Abroad ) from here:
What a wonder it is! So grand, so solemn, so vast! And yet so delicate , so airy, so graceful! A very world of solid weight, and yet it seems
...a delusion of frostwork that might vanish with a breath!...
The central one of its five great doors is bordered with a bas-relief of birds and fruits and beasts and
insects, which have been so ingeniously carved out of the marble that they
seem like living creatures-- and the figures are so numerous and the design
so complex, that one might study it a week without exhausting its
interest...everywhere that a niche or a perch can be found about the
enormous building, from summit to base, there is a marble statue , and every statue is a study in itself...
Away above, on the lofty roof, rank on rank of carved and fretted spires spring high in the air, and through their rich tracery one sees the sky
beyond. ...(Up on) the roof...springing from its broad marble flagstones,
were the long files of spires, looking very tall close at hand, but
diminishing in the distance...We could see, now, that the statue on the top
of each was the size of a large man, though they all looked like dolls from
the street...
They say that the Cathedral of Milan is second only to St. Peter's at Rome. I cannot understand how it can be second to anything made by human hands.
The construction
of the Duomo di Milano began in 1386 promoted by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, lord of
Milan, and continued for centuries.
The Duomo di Milano is
entirely covered from its base with pinkish-white marble. In the façade five
large portals are inserted carrying high-reliefs illustrating sacred and
historical scenes such as "The life of Sant'Ambrogio". Wide slabs of marble
make up the roof of the Duomo which can be reached by a steep external
staircase, consisting of 919 steps, carved between the left side and the
transept.
From the Duomo roof -
Photo © Javier
The effort of
"climbing" the Duomo is highly rewarded by the magnificent view of the
surrounding plain up to the Alps; should the weather be ungenerous it will
still be possible to enjoy the vision of the "Madonnina" , the golden statue
of the Virgin Mary, the 135 lace-like spires and the many statues which
decorate the roof.
On entering the
majestic interior of the cross-shaped cathedral of the Duomo di Milano, the sight is captured by
the polychrome stained glass windows depicting scenes from the life of the
saints. The eight naves of the Duomo Cathedral are divided by 52 gigantic pillars
topped by a series of niches with statues.
Text
Courtesy in part of Welcome to Milan - By the Town Turist Office
Interesting is the web site of the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, the official site of the institution that oversees the Duomo di Milano.
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