The largest Gothic cathedral in Europe, Milan's Duomo took six centuries to complete. There are over 1800 statues on its 135 spires...amazing...
History lesson for the day : Napoleon was crowned Emperor of the French and King of Italy at the Duomo in 1805 and there was a statue of him placed atop one of the spires...
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| beautiful...even on a cloudy day |
The inside of the cathedral is dark, dank, and a bit foreboding...the stained glass windows are incredible !
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| 40 large columns in the nave... |
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| more statues above the columns |
the Duomo is the central site in Milan...all streets either radiate from it or circle it...
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| intricate stained glass...one of many |
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Some of the statues are a bit disconcerting...like the one of Saint Bartholomew Flayed from the early 1500s...
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| yikes ! |
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A series of bronzes honoring the Medici family was so intricate and interesting...and far less disturbing !
The Duomo is spectacular...and undergoing restoration...like everything in Italy...
now THIS crane will not fall down....
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| one of the crypts in the lower level |
the ceiling of the crypt...
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| nothing like a big advertising screen on a cathedral ! |
A great way to start our adventure in Milan...more pictures of the city to follow...
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