As the title suggests, we went to four famous sites in Milano: Castello Sforzesco, Pinacoteca di Brera, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and Duomo di Milano.
The Castle was built by the Sforza family in the 1400s and was used by different nations, such as Spain, France, and Austria, while they ruled Milano. Now, it serves as a home for many cultural museums, including the Museo degli Strumentali Musicali. There were so many cool instruments, and my favorite was the hybrid between a harp and a guitar! By the way, I found it interesting that going through the entrances and exits of the various museums was like touring the castle. The paths were narrow and full of stairs, and the doors were squeaky (*insert dramatic, scary music here).
After lunch, we went to the Brera, which consists of the Pinacoteca (the painting gallery) and a great fine-arts academy. Observing the paintings that we studied in Art History was a whole other level of learning. From Piero della Francesca's Enthroned Madonna and Saints to Mantegna's Foreshortend Christ, the gallery did a fantastic job displaying the paintings in a way that helps the audience be involved with each artwork and therefore analyze them more effectively.
Then, we had a 3-hour free time, so like anyone in Milan would do, we went shopping at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the oldest commercial malls in the western hemisphere. Although the stores allured many tourists, the architecture itself struck me wiith its elegance. But because we were hungry, we went to this great gelateria that made rose petals out of each gelato scoop - it was fantastic!
After much shopping, we went to the duomo that was literally in the same piazza. And I was simply BLOWN AWAY. First, we walked all the way to the top and got a great view of the city itself. I thought that experience was amazing so much that I told others that I would love to propose here! But once we went down and walked into the chapel, I almost teared up. The grandeur just puts every individual in awe. Check out the photos - you will see what I mean. So I ended up sitting down in one of the pews and just spent some time meditating.
But seriously, my words and photos do not do justice to the beauty of this city. Today made me realize that this is the reason I decided to join SYA Italy. Hopefully the Expo tomorrow will be great as well!