Best Places to Visit in Milan, Italy - Part 2 / Blogs

Milan is the capital city of the Lombardy region, with a rich history stemming back to 600 BCE when the area was settled by the Gauls, and in 222 BCE it was known as the Mediolanum. Today, it is leading Italy with its ever-growing commercial and manufacturing success. Location of the spring and fall fashion shows, many designers show off their designs during the week to over 20,000 visitors. Both Versace and Giorgio Armani are present there being Milan-based brands.

Fighting the stigma of “second city” to Rome, Milan fights with its remote location from other populous cities making it a private tourism city. Nicknamed “moral capital”, Milan is seen as a vitality with its strength. With a current population of over 60 million, Italy is the 23rd biggest country in the world. According to Britannica, Milan is the second largest city by population (1.37 million) right behind Rome (2.8 million). On the map, Milan is seen resting in the northern part of the country, as well as the northern part of the Po River (the longest river in Italy). Settling 400 feet above sea level.

Welcome back to part 2 of the best places to visit in Milan, Italy. It is not necessary to read part 1 first, but if you want to, click here…

“There’s no time to be bored in a world as beautiful as this.”

- Unknown

Here is a list of some more of the best attractions to visit in Milan, Italy...

Leonardo3 - Il Mondo di Leonardo

At the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit (located at the entrance of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, as mentioned in part 1), there is over 200 pieces of reconstructive 3D pieces, fully interactive with audio available in 8 languages.

This exhibit can also be seen in Canada, USA, Poland, Brazil, and many other places. Seen by millions, Leonardo3 research and studies pieces from times before today. Their mission is to honor the subject's pieces in the most realistic way possible by closely reconstructing the machines, as accurate as possible to bring it to the public's eye to interpret and study.

The following were recently added to the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit as a restoration. Never recreated before, in over 500 years.

The Time Machine

This is one of his most complex pieces. It is seen on two pages from his Manuscript B, folios 33v and 34r. It is meant to be filled with a liquid like sand, small steel balls, mercury or water. The fluid moves into the boxes as it rotates. The main wheel moves a full turn as the boxes move half a turn. The mechanism of the wheel returns the boxes to the start position in an anti-clockwise move.

The Mechanical Eagle

Leonardo created many flying designs due to his interest in flying creatures like birds, bats, and insects, which he designed all throughout Manuscript B. This piece specifically is found on Manuscript B, folios 73v, 74r, 74v, and 75r. Leonardo knew to observe Eagles once he failed the first time and discovered he needed to make it more complex. He made sure it weighed no more than 175 pounds with a pulley system to make the wings flap, fold, and turn. The head of the pilot controls the tail with the headband.

Copyright Leonardo3 - www.leonardo3.net

Copyright Leonardo3 - www.leonardo3.net

The Mechanical Dragonfly

This is found on Codex Atlanticus, folio 1051v. Leonardo got inspired by a dragonfly and the function of its wings by the way they are flat on the downstroke and turn at an angle when doing a upstroke. He used this idea by designing two pair of wings that sit around a central pivot and rotate as they go up and down. Using a couple engines as the activation of the complex mechanical system that is made of gears with connecting rods. This creates a quick movement that recreates a Dragonfly wing movement.

Copyright Leonardo3 - www.leonardo3.net

The Mechanical Submarine

Found in Codex Atlanticus, Folio 881r.

This one is the only one in existence, as it was never actually built, as Leonardo knew it was a dangerous invention but could be useful. He planned to go to Venice to propose it to them, but never made it. Due to its danger, he made the elements hard to read and recreate across the folio. It was made to be attached to a boat by a rope. Underneath a diver enters it and unattaches it and travels through the water until it makes it to the hull of the enemy ship. Then sinks it with certain devices. When inside the pilot uses a steering system by using their feet to move the submarine. The buoy (floating devices) works as both an air supply and a stabilizer.

The Rapid-Fire Crossbow

Found in Codex Atlanticus, Folios 143r, 153r, and 155r

The crossbow looks almost like a gun when it is being used but what it actually is doing is the tiller (distance between the bow and the string) is divided into two parts. The bottom is secured with a sturdy hinge and is opened downwards. Inside the levers bring the nut to the bowstring, giving it its resting position. The bowstring is engaged by the nut and brought to the loading position. The lever is used to open and close the tiller, so the person can reload it without touching the bowstring, making the reloading process go faster.

The Last Supper

Commissioned by Ludovico Sforza

The Last Supper is a very famous painting that was made between 1495 and 1498 in Milan. Commissioned by Ludovico Sforza for the Dominican monastery Santa Maria delle grazie. Showing a scene that is written in several Gospels. The 12 people including Matthew (26:21-28) are seen reacting and behaving the way Leonardo feels they would when Jesus is stating one of the Apostles is going to betray him. This meal later institutes Eucharist (Marks his pass to death, so he can be resurrected and have everlasting life).

Leonardo da Vinci Life Timeline

Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in Anchiano, Italy to Caterina (an orphan slave trafficked to Italy) and to Ser Piero da Vinci (Florence notary and landlord) who were unmarried at the time. Later this year, his father marries Albiera degli Amadori.

Albiera dies in 1466, leaving Ser Piero da Vinci a widower. Leonardo moves in with his father and they move to Florence. Four years later, Leonardo joins the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio and learns how to paint, draw, and sculpt.

In 1476, a scandal comes out accusing Leonardo of sodomy and he is prosecuted and found not guilty. 1503, Mona Lisa is painted. His father gets remarried throughout his life and has 7 children with other women, making Leonardo a half-sibling. At age 80, his father dies in 1504. In 1516, Leonardo moves to France to continue his art.

May 2, 1519, Leonardo da Vinci dies at age 67.

The Vertical Forest

The Vertical Forest in Milan consists of two residential buildings, 27 stories tall with balconies filled with almost 900 trees, and more than 2,000 bushes (about 2 trees, 8 shrubs, and 40 bushes per person). Giving the owners shade in the summer, with sunlight in the winter. As a result of these greeneries, the residents get cleaner air by the filter of the air particles, city noises, and radiation in the urban environment. The plants produce more oxygen and absorb CO2 to protect and nurture the residents.

All the plants were brought up in a nursery with similar living conditions, therefore are more adequate. The colors of the building are always changing with the season offering so many different looks. Inhabiting these plants are about 1,600 birds and insects. The buildings offer solar panels and gray water recycling and an irrigation system for all residents.

This building began construction in 2009 and opened on October 02, 2014, so this is a newer addition to the city.

Como Cathedral

The Como Cathedral is also known as the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta - Duomo di Como. The first Cathedral to have an Organ was in 1441. Design for The Como Cathedral is designed in three styles (gothic, baroque, and renaissance). The Cathedral started construction in 1396, and over several stages and three and a half centuries later, it was completed in 1744. With 17th to 15th century styles, this cathedral is quite complex in design. Three semicircular dome ceilings that are renaissance inspired, was designed by Filippo Juvara. But the architect who designed the gothic cathedral is unknown.

Lorenzo degli Spazi was the Italian architect that was first officially credited. Along with many other workers, like Tommaso Rodari in 1484 and his brothers Giacomo and Donato. Three years later Tommaso was nominated engineer of the factory and continued sculpture-making until he died in 1526.

Inside there are two organs at the end of the gothic arcade, originally made in the 17th century early on. Both were inaugurated on Annunciation Day in 1650. The cases of the organs are in baroque style to offer a smooth transition from Gothic to renaissance of the apses (decorated semicircular dome ceiling) and transept (part of the building that makes the T shape). In the detailed wooden organ cases are where the two differ.

Right organ has Abundius (name of a bishop), and another bishop between two angels holding bugles.

Left organ has the statue of Our Lady of the Assumption surrounded by two angels playing the trumpet on the top.

Royal Palace of Milan

Located to the right of the Milan Cathedral, The Royal Palace of Milan was designed during the Napoleonic era (1799-1815) by the architect Pelagi and Hayez the artist, instructed by the Visconti family. Originally it was going to have two courtyards, but was later canceled due to the new plans for the Duomo. It is 7,000 square meters with 3 floors filled with exhibitions and grand rooms for parties. It hosts over 1,500 artists' works here yearly. The history mixes with the noble families that were the governs of Milan, belonging to the dynasty of Habsburgs and the Savoy region. Moments after the Second World War, this building held an exhibition for the artist Caravaggio’s exhibition, and it continued hosting art exhibitions of sculptors and painters. The room named the Sala dei Ministri, also known as Sala della Rotonda has a vaulted ceiling with eight columns. The Hall of the Caryatids was where the grand royal receptions took place. Parties were set here where the most famous and wealthiest people gathered. Sadly, on August 15, 1943, it was bombed by the British and caused a fire, destroying the roof, where the Caryatid Hall was along with the stucco coating and the balconies. All the Andrea Appiani paintings there were destroyed. After being abandoned for over two years, it had some restoration and it was ready for an exhibition in 1953, when Pablo Picasso showed his painting Guernica (pictured below).

In 2000, the Hall of the Caryatids was starting to be fixed to its original form, since it was just fixed to be a white-painted room before that. Today, it shows the four eras it lived through including the Neoclassical, Napoleonic, Restoration, and the Unification of Italy. In the early 16th century, the Castello Sforzesco was the official residence of the dukes of Milan, but changed when the French invaded Milan, and the Sforza dynasty ended. The castle was transformed into a fortress for warfare over time. Under the ruler of the French Louis XII and Francois, they demanded the court be moved to the Royal Palace of Milan. Governor Ferrante Gonzaga moved into the palace in 1546. The Gonzaga family renovated the palace dedicating it to the governor's official work.

Orto Botanico di Brera

The Orto Botanico di Brera is a free public botanical garden found in the center of Milan. It is founded by the University of Milan. Originally a public park, Fulgenzio Vitman transformed it under the request of the Empress of Austria, Maria Theresa. It was then established in 1774. Centuries later in 1998, it was restored.

Inside the botanical garden, it contains flower beds and ponds from the 18th century. The Ginkgo biloba trees that are native to China and are the only place in Europe where they are found. They also have mature Firmiana platanifolia (a tree native to China), the Pterocarya fraxinifolia tree (belongs in the Juglandaceae family), and Tili plants.

Triennale di Milano Museo

The Triennale of Milan Museum holds more than 300 pieces out of the full collection of more then 1,600 items. Including documents, historical photos, and artwork, all donated or given on loan by private collectors or other museums. With the 14,000 square foot of space all on the ground floor it holds a lot of pieces. The collection shows off pieces created from the start of the foundation of the institution in 1923 to now, celebrating the 100 years that shaped the identity and aesthetic of Italy today. Including all the technological changes that occurred. Showing Triennale’s collection and retelling the story of the development of history by recreating interiors that showed the development of structure through items from organizations and other institutions. All are shown on the curved space that will be focused on design today but will be able to change as it is a temporary exhibition space. It is directed by Marco Sammicheli, and designed by Paolo Giacomazzi Design Studio.

Fondazione Luigi Rovati, an Art Museum and Cultural Centre

The Museum of Art of the Fondazione Luigi Rovati is located in a historic Milanese Palazzo. Named after a doctor, researcher, and entrepreneur Luigi Rovati, was founded in 2016. It is a science of culture foundation for thought, sharing, and experimentation. Before today, in the 18th-century, the land was referred to as “Borghetto di Porta Orientale” which translates to “Eastern Gate Quarter”, because it was thought of as being low and not a meaningful place to be because the plague brought corpses being carried away from there. But in 1836, Giacomo Johnson bought the land and made a workshop where pressed-metal crests and buttons were made. After he died, his son Stefano took over and changed it to produce medals instead and changed the name to “Stefano Johnson - Medal Factory”. In 1871, the current Palazzo was built by the Prince of Piombino. In 1960, the Rizzoli family hired two architects, Ferdinando Reggiori and Filippo Perego to renovate the interior and some exterior parts. In 2016, it was empty, then bought by the foundation, and assigned it to the firm MCA (Mario Cucinella the leader), who renovated the garden and several rooms including the Study Hall, Lecture Hall, the Café-bistrot and the Johan&Levi Museum Shop, along with the gastronomic restaurant of chef Andrea Aprea. It has seven floors, with two underground, which holds the Luigi Rovati Foundation’s Etruscan collection. The first floor of the museum is for contemporary works, with dialogue of archaeological finds. Other floors are offices, storage, temporary exhibition spaces, and conference rooms.

Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio

Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio is a Roman Catholic Church that is found in the Lombardy region, in the center of Milan. This church is designed in the Romanesque style which was popular in the 10th, and 13th century. Though it was originally built between 379 and 386, it had been rebuilt in the 9th, 10th century. It was completed in 1099. From 1492 to 1497, Donato Bramante redesigned parts of it to reflect the new year trends. The original designs were commissioned by St. Ambrose, and the church was named Basilica Martyrum. Before Ambrose built the church, he actually arrived in Milan, hoping to become a bishop, but during that time there was a conflict between the beliefs of Arianism and Nicene Creed. Ambrose sided with Nicene Creed because he wanted the northern part of Italy to side with the Pope. He showed support for them by building a few churches surrounding Milan that were set to be anti-Arianism, but still be a symbol of power and wealth for the Nicene belief.

The attractions in Milan, Italy are limitless

The many places of Milan, Italy are difficult to cover, since there is so many, so I made two parts. The nice thing about the many attractions is the location, most of these places are located in the Piazza del Duomo or near it, making it nice for tourists who don't know their way around. I love that Milan thinks about little details like that when building these attractions, whether it's a coincidence or by purpose, it is greatly appreciated. For more blogs, follow my Pinterest. Next week's blog post is titled… “Best Places to Visit in Pisa, Italy”. And as always…

Time is short. Take time to travel.

-Unknown

Here are some more Travel Blogs

Best Places to Visit in Paris, France - Part 2

Paris, the "City of Lights," is the capital of France, situated in the north-central region along the Seine River. It was originally established as Lutetia in the 3rd century BCE and later became known as Paris. The city grew and faced challenges over the centuries, including Viking sieges, the Black Death, and the Hundred Years' War.

Best Places to Visit in Paris, France

Paris, the capital of France, otherwise known as the “City of Lights” is a vibrant city located in the north-central region of the country. With a population estimated at 2,153,600 (2019) and a metropolitan area population of 9,854,000, It sits along the Seine River, approximately 233 miles (375 km) upstream from where the river meets the English Channel (La Manche). Paris was initially established as Lutetia, evolving from a settlement on an island in the Seine during the late 3rd century BCE. The Romans captured and fortified Lutetia in 52 BCE. Over time, the city expanded to the left bank of the Seine, eventually becoming known as Paris by the early 4th century. Paris withstood Viking sieges in the 9th century and became the capital of France in 987 when Hugh Capet, the count of Paris, ascended to the throne.

The Most Beautiful Beaches in Italy

Visiting Italy's picture-perfect Beaches is just something every tourist should see. These beaches are a wonderful photoshoot location to snap a few pics. Most of these beaches include a bit of a hike, but the end result is definitely worth it. Note, some offer free and/or paid parking. August is usually when these destinations are the busiest. Plan accordingly to avoid rush hours. I would recommend early morning or late afternoon during the summer seasons. So, if you want to learn more about which beach would be the best to see, I have listed a few of the favorites I have researched.

The Best 5 Free Attractions to Visit in Italy

When planning to visit Italy, you are stampeded with travel packages and the stress of planning for every attraction. But what most people forget is that there are a lot of FREE things to do in Italy. I have made a list of some of the best FREE things to do in Italy. All located in Rome, Milan, and Venice. Hopefully this inspires you to look up free things to do in whatever place you plan on visiting next.

Best Places to Visit in Pisa, Italy

With a population of over 109 thousand, Pisa is set in Tuscany, central Italy, and features many palaces, churches, and bridges which span across the river Arno (one of central Italy's most essential Rivers after Tiber). As for the history, Ancient Pisae was said to be inhabited by the Ligurians before the Romans came, took it over, and made it a naval base in 180 BCE. But before that in 313 BCE, it was a Christian bishopric. After the Roman empire collapsed, it remained a principal urban center. And later in the 11th century, it became a thriving commercial center and still was that in the 13th century while being the chief port of Tuscany for woolen manufacturing.