With the breathtaking concert now over, I took following day to explore the main sights of Milano's city centre.
The first place I headed towards was the famous Milan cathedral. It's the world's largest Gothic cathedral and was also the cherished location where Napoleon declared himself emperor of Europe.
This magnificent piece of architecture had an incredible impact as soon as I stepped up from the Metro.
This imposing structure reaches to incredible heights and defies the general notion of what a church should look like in Italy.
The heavy Germanic influence on the entire build is unquestionable.
After experiencing the size, scope, and complexity of the exterior design, I ventured into explore what the interior had to offer.
I picked up one of the available audio guides and began my exploration.
Each stained glass, spread throughout the church, represents a certain biblical story. They were incredibly detailed and quite attractive. Observing all sorts of colors bursting through from the sun rays was a splendid sight. It's also the only church in Italy I saw with stained glass.
Many imposing statues, sculptures, and pieces where nicely nestled throughout the church.
One of the most striking pieces on display was this phenomenal statue of Bartholomew, carrying his own skin.
The amount of detail developed for the statue is staggering. The veins, muscles, and bones are all shockingly life-like.
He holds skin, with disturbing pride.
It's quite chilling and horrific, yet utterly absorbing.
I also ventured into the underground of the cathedral where some of the most influential Milanese church figures are entombed.
I stepped out once more into the open and found that it's actually possible to ascend to the very heights of the towering cathedral.
So off I went, hiking up the endless spiral of stairs, until I reached the slippery slopes of Milan's highest. A steady stream of drizzle pervaded all around, making it quite uneasy and edgy while up there. The only sense of security was a very shallow railing, which didn't seem too sturdy.
Although I was thoroughly impressed with the ability to view Milan from a such vantage point, I was disappointed with the actual view.
While Rome, Florence, and Venice have many recognizable and lush locales to spot when viewing from atop, Milan's view was quite static. Milan doesn't have a strong visual palette and seems very generic.
To put it simply, if I didn't know I was in Milan, it would be impossible to tell.
I soon backtracked and found myself at ground level yet again.
You could tell Christmas season is just around the corner:
I decided to visit the prestigious Brera Accademia, for it houses some key works by Caravaggio, Raphael, and Mantegna.
On the way, I decided to take a de-tour and visit the famed La Scala. Considered by many to be the finest opera house in the world, La Scala has held world premieres for classic works by such prestigious names as Verdi, Puccini, and Rossini.
As I ventured down the street which supposedly held La Scala. I saw a statue of Leonardo Da Vinci posed towards a quite odd-looking building. I walked closer to this very boxed and unattractive structure. The building was bolted up with wooden doors, no entrances, windows, or lights. They were only a few framed posters on the wall, which wrote, "La Scala."
I couldn't believe that this building, which could have easily been mistaken for a homeless shelter, is considered the greatest opera house in the world.
I've been to The Metropolitan Opera House in NYC and Covent Garden in London, and both are infinitely better than La Scala in very imaginable facet. These have lush entrances, elaborate stores, beautiful designs, and look visually outstanding. La Scala, from its design all the way to its color scheme, fail miserably in every department.
Talk about a ridiculous disappointment. I guess it's history is what makes it so famous, but trust me, the $700 tickets being charged for the forthcoming Carmen production is a bit of a joke.
I also walked by a poster showcasing the excellent Caravaggio exhibition taking place in Florence:
Works by Caravaggio from all over the world have been brought to Florence for this rare exhibition. Without question, one the finest exhibitions I've ever attended.
I continued on and soon found myself at very secretive entrance of the Brera Accademia.
Before I was stopped by the evil witches of the Accademia, I snapped one shot of the "Lamentation over the Dead Christ" by Andrea Mantegna:
This outstanding piece is revolutionary for its ingenious sense of perspective.
While I explored the entire gallery, I was very impressed with what the Brera Accademia had to offer, although it doesn't hold a candle to the wonders found in the Uffizi or the British National Gallery.
Taking to the Milano streets yet again, I began back to the train station for my journey home.
Along the way, I stumbled by some wicked retro art that caught my eye:
Milan is very eventful city, that has a lot to offer when you peer within. The only problem is, it doesn't exactly look that inspiring.
I guess looks can be deceiving. Just look at La Scala. On second thought, I'd rather not...
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