Last updated on
January 17, 2024.
January 17, 2024.
Today also is going to be a busy day, much like yesterday. This time we visit the city of Milan, an hour or so with the train West of Verona. We already have train tickets. We conveniently bought tickets for Venice and Milan together last Sunday. After breakfast we are of the train station and board the train bound for Milan.
The Station Milano Centrale reminds me of Grand Central Station in New York. The high ceilings, the columns, the marble, the various layers in the building for the trains and the metro. An impressive building it is.
Since Milan is a very large city we set our primary target yesterday. First thing on the list is de Duomo di Milano. We sort out which metro line to take and of we go. With the metro it is only a ten-minute trip to the metro station near the Duomo, or should I say in front of the Duomo.
In 1386, Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo began construction of the cathedral. It took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the largest church in Italy (the larger St. Peter's Basilica is in the State of Vatican City) and the third largest in the world. The construction program was strictly regulated under the "Fabbrica del Duomo", which had 300 employees and was exempted from taxes.
The Duomo is a magnificent building, and it is so elaborately decorated with sculptures and statues, you cannot believe your eyes! There is already quite a large cue, all waiting to be allowed access to the Duomo after being searched by the military that guard the entrance. Before cueing up you need to purchase tickets. These are available in the building at the right of the Duomo further down the street where the banners "Duomo Shop" fly in the wind.
Inside, the Duomo is even more impressive. The pillars that support the roof are immensely thick, reaching up into the sky and touching the roof of the building. Looking around you cannot help feeling very small compared to this huge building.
Having admired the Duomo enough, we exit and pay a visit to the city centre of Milan. Exiting the Duomo, we take a right turn into the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele where all the prestige's fashion houses are represented with a shop. We are talking Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Versace, Armani, Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors. Maybe you are interested in a purse of Euro 2.500,00?
In the Galleria is also present the exhibition "The science behind the designs and works of Leonardo da Vinci". The World of Leonardo is a temporary museum at the entrance of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II on the side of Piazza della Scala. The visitor can discover the world of Leonardo da Vinci, both in his role as an artist and as an inventor. On display are working models of machines designed by Leonardo, like a submarine, a mechanical eagle, a mechanical dragonfly and a rapid-fire crossbow, as well as reconstructions of his musical instruments. Yes it is interesting, but no we do not visit the exhibition. Not enough time, we want to see the city.
The thing I did not expect in Milan was a Disney-Store. But there it is, together with Mickey and Minnie mouse. We wander through the city, window shopping at all the famous brands. After a coffee break we take the metro back to the Central Station. It is still an hour with the train to Verano.
Having arrived at the station we learn that it still takes an odd forty minutes before our train leaves. A good opportunity to have a close look at the outside of the station. In front of the station is a large square, the Piazza Duca d'Aosta. Looking straight ahead across the Piazza stretches the Via Vittor Pisani, a wide boulevard that ends in the Piazza della Repubblica.
Milano Centrale is the main railway station of the city of Milan and is the largest train station in Europe by volume. The station is a terminus (end station) and located at the northern end of central Milan. The current building was officially inaugurated in 1931 and replaced the old central station that was built in 1864. This was a transit station with a limited number of tracks and space, so it could not handle the increased traffic caused by the opening of the Simplon tunnel in 1906.
After a while we find our ride back to Verona and board. Having wandered around for the better part of the day, spending an hour sitting in the train is a welcome change.