Not long after I returned from Christmas and New Years in Devon, I was back travelling again, this time to Milan for a 4 day weekend.
When I hired the campervan and drove around Italy, I had intended to visit Milan then, but the roads outside the city were chaotic, it had already been a stressful day that day, and I didn't want to go through the stress of trying to find a park there, so I decided to leave it on that occasion and come back by plane (and public transport).
It was another one of those cheap early morning flights that I seem to find, so I was out in the cold waiting for the bus to Stansted before 6 in the morning. I got to the airport around 7am, then waited for my flight at 9.
I arrived at Milan Malpensa airport around 12, then caught the train Milan itself and was there checking into my hotel just before 2. I dumped my luggage and set out to explore for the rest of the daylight hours!
The first thing I noticed was this weird building that was close to the hotel that I was staying in. I walked past it on the way to the centre of Milan - it was called Torre Velasca, and it was crazy cool. Built in the 1950's, it's about 100m tall, made of concrete and has a very distinct shape!
From there, it was time to see the Duomo. I have wanted to see this beautiful church for so long and it really doesn't disappoint - it is truly gorgeous. You'll probably see quite a few photos from me of this building over the next couple of posts because it looked different in the different light.
It was really busy at this time of day - tourists, locals, lovers, pigeons, etc etc.
I did a wander all throughout Milan, but I didn't really take photos because I was more sussing out places to go when it was a little quieter. But the next place I went to I took plenty of photos! Stop scrolling if anything dead or to do with death makes you feel icky, but this church was one of the most interesting churches I have been into. Much of the church looked like a standard Italian church, except for one room... This was the Sanctuary of S. Bernardino Alle Ossa, and the "ossa" part might give you a clue... it was an ossuary.
The original ossuary was built in 1210 when the cemetery ran out of space - they made a room instead to hold the bones of the dead. But it became quite a popular place and so a church was built on the side. The whole place was damaged by fire in the 18th century and rebuilt.The ossuary was fascinating, and an interesting and decorative use of bones. If I had been one of those people, I think I would be happy for my bones to be used in that way!
You may think me a little morbid, but the place was lovely and the room full of quiet contemplation.
I popped back to my hotel, got changed and went out for dinner. Then went to bed because I was getting up early to beat the tourists at the Duomo!