Category: Italy – Lombardy

Milan Cathedral

An audio-visual tour of Duomo de Milano

Milan Cathedral (Duomo de Milano) is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan. The cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the largest church in Italy and the third largest in the world.

The main square surrounding the cathedral is a major tourist hub littered with famous fashion stores, the beautiful Victor Emmanuel II mall, museums, concert/event space, a major metro stop and shops and restaurants.

The cathedral tour has 2 sections. The amazing and historic interior. And the beautiful terrace with its Gothic architecture.

Leonardo da Vinci spent a major part of his career in Milan. Some of his engineering works are still in display at the Cathedral.

The sculpture “Saint Bartholomew Flayed” is a major tourist attraction.

A few hundred gargoyles and other smaller statues adorn the exterior of the magnificent cathedral.

Each of the tall aspires is dedicated to a famous person. During the allied bombing campaign in world war II only two aspires were damaged. Milanese attribute that to divine intervention!

The terrace atop the cathedral hosts concert events and offers an amazing view of Milan.

Basilica di San Fedele, Como

Video blog about the oldest church in Como, Italy

The Basilica of San Fedele is the oldest church in Como, Italy . It is located in the city center and is dedicated to Saint Fidelis martyr. It derives from an earlier Christian church from the 7th century, dedicated to Euphemia.

We visited this ancient church as part of a walking tour in 2017 on a trip to Lake Como. The square facing the church is the oldest surviving area of the city dating back to Roman times in the 5th century.

Como was the birthplace of many historical figures in Roman times, including the poet Caecilius mentioned by Catullus in the 1st century BCE and writers Pliny the Elder and the Younger. The image below shows some of these historical figures depicted in the impressive front facade of the Como Cathedral, built in later medival period.

Later famous historical figures from Como include Pope Innocent XI, scientist Alessandro Volta, and Cosima Liszt, second wife of Richard Wagner and long-term director of the Bayreuth Festival.

Saint Bartholomew Flayed

Video blog of the sculpture St Bartholomew Flayed

The following video clip shows the sculpture “Saint Bartholomew Flayed” in Milan Cathedral.

The sculpture was finished in 1562 by Marco d’Agrate. Its one of the stunning piece among many famous artworks in the cathedral. Its visceral yet calm posture is a testament to early days of the Christian faith. The saint shows his flayed skin thrown over his shoulders like a stole.

According to tradition, Saint Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. He travelled to India and Armenia to preach the word of God. He was brutally executed in Armenia.

Lake Como

Exploring beautiful lake como

We took a boat trip on the beautiful lake Como in the fall of 2017. The lake is located in the Northern part of Italy in the Lombardy region.

Our trip started from the picturesque city of Como, Italy. We arrived there on an early morning bus trip from Milan. The city itself has a history dating back to Roman times. It is also the starting point for most trips on the lake due to many available ferries that provides hop-on hop-off service to many towns around the lake.

Notable sites around the lake includes the beautiful hillside town of Tavernola, celebrity houses like those of George Clooney and Madonna, the gorgeous villa and terrace used in the Star Wars movie and the lovely town of Bellagio with its charming gardens.

We took the below pictures as we explored the lake from the comfort of our boat while enjoying an Italian lunch with dessert and wine – all for under 20 Euros!

In my other blogs under Lombardy, I will have more details of the individual sites around the lake. Click on this link – Lake Como Tour to see a YouTube video clip of the trip.

Hope you enjoy the video and pics and get to visit there as well!