Being so close to the second largest city in Italy and not at least spending a day visiting its most iconic sites seemed a waste, so we planned a day trip to Milan from our home base in Florence. Two sites topped our list of must sees; Da Vinci’s The Last Supper and the Milan Cathedral.
We booked an early morning train from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station which was conveniently located less than a 10 minute walk from our apartment. Two hours later, thanks to the high speed trains that crisscross Italy, we arrived at Milan’s Central station. Prior research into the metro system along with a map we had printed at home before we left meant we were swiftly on our way to the first site, the Duomo di Milano, or its official name Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary.
Although it was the Duomo metro stop where we disembarked we had no idea how far we would have to walk to get to the main square. Imagine our delight when we emerged from the dark underground into the sun washed square and the breathtaking first view of the cathedral in all its Gothic splendour. We spent our first hour or so just taking pictures, people (and pigeon) watching, and taking in the magnificent view of the exterior.
Eventually we arranged tickets on site to tour the cathedral and do the walk on its roof, one of the few available in
churches like this in Italy. To tour the cathedral is only €5. To add the roof by elevator access it is an additional €22. Tickets are issued on a timed basis to avoid crowds. Even with the elevator most of the way up, there is an additional 90 stairs to climb to get to the upper portion followed by the full 251 steps back down through a spiral staircase. It is not for the faint of heart, but the views are spectacular!
Afterward we walked through the splendor of the Victor Emmanuel II Galleria. Fronting on the same square and full of shops and restaurants, it was the architecture that truly attracted our attention.
Back on the subway we made our way to the stop indicated to visit Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. The fresco, painted between 1494 and 1498, it is still located in its original place, on the wall of the dining room of the former Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Due to the experimental method used by Da Vinci to create it the fresco is slowly fading. Numerous restorations and a carefully controlled environment ensure it will be around for longer.
The location was a bit of a walk from the metro but we had left ourselves plenty of time to find it and have lunch, and I am glad we did. What happened next is one of those special moments in travel.
As we walked to the meeting point we passed streets closed off by police with hundreds of motorcycles lining those streets. When we arrived at Santa Maria delle Grazie it was to crowds milling in the square outside as they waited for the start of the funeral of Luca Salvadori. Luca was a beloved YouTube influencer who had died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 33. The funeral was broadcast on large screens outside the church as it could not hold all of the attendees. We were awed by the outpouring of love and respect.
Afterward the funeral we were able to join our tour group and although our time inside the church was cut short we spent the time we could admiring Da Vinci’s masterpiece. It is as inspiring and humbling as you would expect and a must see for every art historian and fan. I would caution however to book your time to see The Last Supper well in advance as it is very popular and only a limited number of people are allowed inside at a time. They also limit each visit to only 15 minutes.
Our day in Milan was packed with everything we had planned and hoped to achieve as well as a very unexpected insight into the people and culture of the city. To add to our success the trains ran on time, which I understand is not always the norm in Italy!