Cari Amici (Dear Friends),
Not too long after Vasily saw me off at the Chicago airport, I found myself being met in
Milano, Italia by the mother of my
coinquillina (roommate) Elena. After a delicious lunch and a
pisolino (nap), I was given Tram tickets and sent on my way. I was charmed by how sweet Elena’s mother was to me: She asked the Tram driver to change the light at the top front of the bus for a moment so that I could see the name of the stop for my return trip to her home.
Upon arriving at the Duomo, a woman who has the age of my own grandmother placed her hand on my back as she guided me off the bus and over to the piazza surrounding Milano’s famous
Duomo. This, as the driver turned to make sure I knew to
uscire (to exit) the bus here. I found Milano’s people very pleasant.
After seeing the
Duomo of Milano, I had to remind myself that
Duomo in Italian does not mean ‘dome.’ It means ‘cathedral’ and usually refers to the main church in a city. Milano’s
Duomo is the world’s largest Gothic cathedral and the second largest Catholic cathedral. She supports about 3500 statues. The tallest spire is 108 meters high. I wish that I had taken the time to walk on the roof.
I include the image below to show you the relative scale of this elaborate building.
For my taste, the design of the bronze doors is “information overload,” but the quality and story telling in the art are apparent. And examining portions alone allow one to fully appreciate this work of art and architecture centuries in the making.
I am loving more and more the combination of human figures with the geometry of architecture. I am no expert, but some of the architectural shapes seem to come from the Middle East and/or Africa. I find them appealing and uplifting.
In the double image below, the one on the left shows a less busy design. I love how the figure’s wings extend beyond the architectural border. The image on the right was one I found myself drawn to because of the powerful emotion expressed in the face and gesture of the hands.
I also photographed the bronze doors from below and looking almost straight up in an attempt to show you how dimensional the sculpture is: very high relief, with some parts sculpted fully in the round.
If you would like to learn more about the history of Milan’s Cathedral, please click here:
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/milan-duomo.htm
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onze so often that it is impossible for the bronze to keep her patina. But for me, I would be delighted if my sculptures were loved and enjoyed by people, even if that meant the work changed over the centuries. Of course, I would not mind being around to see the effects of such a love first-hand!
