Today we traveled by subway to the heart of Milan and the Piazza di Duomo where we emerged into the daylight and were immediately rewarded by the sight of the world’s largest Gothic Cathedral, covered in statues and carvings from the late Gothic period, begun in 1366; it took five centuries to complete! It has 135 spires and 3400 statues! It was an amazing site, the square including The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a stunning shopping and dining arcade with beautiful windows decked out for the holidays. I found it difficult (make that, “impossible”) to capture the expanse of the location within a single photo, but we enjoyed walking around the square, watching the trolley cars on the streets leading away, and visiting a wonderful, two-story “food emporium”, Peck’s, selling the most beautifully prepared foods, chocolates and pastries (no photos allowed). We walked back to the piazza and lingered until after dark where we enjoyed the buildings lit up at night. Around the corner, a department store (just peeking out on the left side of the cathedral) was encrusted with tiny, twinkling lights and looked like a jeweled bracelet; it was just another amazing sight before we ended our day and headed back to our flat.
Oh my goodness! I could spend ages just photographing the statues and so on! How do you keep moving to see other things? One of the benefits of traveling alone or with photo friends is being able to linger with either no one to answer to or with people who understand. Can you believe the year is almost over already? This has been quite some year for you, my dear. How lucky to have it documented in pictures!
Really nice cathedral. Great shot. I was always told by my german firends that the Gothic cathedral in Cologne is the largest gothic cathedral. We'll have to let them sort it out.
Lovely! I've sung in there! We sang a very old 15th century version of Ave Maria that sounded incredible in there. I too found it difficult to take pictures. I'm betting there's a statue directly behind you preventing you from backing up to really get that perfect wide-angle straight on shot. I didn't have a good camera at the time I was there so I wound up taking two pictures and taping them together. I didn't have a panorama setting nor did I have good editing software at the time so scotch tape was my only solution. It's a glorious bit of architecture. Would love to go back someday.
gosh, just re-read my note...totally didn't mean that you didn't capture this structure wonderfully! But I still know that you had a statue at your back...soooo envious of your wonderful travels. Have been enjoying enjoying it with you!
Oh my gosh... look at the detailed carving on that building. I want to go to Europe so badly! You must be overwhelmed with the beauty you get to see every day. Love this photo!
Ah lovely lovely picture - lovely lovely memories - I was here only just this summer - the cathedral is gorgeous - an absolute profusion of fantastic sculptures and carvings on the front - and the big sets of doors were fantastic too with carvings from different eras. And the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II was stunningly beautiful as well - I remember a fabulous glove shop with gloves in every colour imaginable - and did you grind your heel in the bull's dangly bits?! http://www.flickr.com/photos/ayla63/4953825690/ Sorry to ramble on ... so lovely to think of the lovely summer in the midst of all this snow and cold ...
So pretty!! I remember this square so well and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcade just nearby. It was in there that the folks told us that we were speaking Italian with French accents. Ha! It's nice to see the Cathedral without scaffolding. It was covered when we there. However, I notice that your shot of St. Mark's in the Venice shot shows a bit of scaffolding. Guess there's no way around it when things are as old as they are over there, eh?
@islawight Yes, I waited patiently to take my photo of "Tarus" while three Italian women "ground and spun" ahead of me. I wonder who began that tradition and why?! No doubt there's an answer somewhere on Google! It's been my greatest delight to receive notes from you and others here on 365 who've been to the places I'm sharing and to read other stories! (I'm thinking that "glove shop" is the one I saw with beautiful antique umbrellas in a display above the door, and windows full of fans and gloves...quite eye-catching!)
@swazette Yes, St Mark's had a bit of scaffolding covering the front of it...a personal disappointment, but for the greater good, it's best that it's kept intact! (In the Grand Canal photo, that's Santa Maria della Salute and not St Marks in the picture. What info I'm sharing is not my own brilliance, but Billy's astute assistance!)
**gasp** you've captured the magnitude and grace of this cathedral so perfectly!! what a beautiful site! that glittering shop on the left looks so neat!! i had fun looking at all of the people standing around also! so glad that you are having such a fun and memorable trip!! best wishes....
@harvey What's one more steeple or sculpture more or less?! I got my info off of Google where it drops to #2 if you refer to it as a "Catholic Cathedral"...then, less large than one in Seville... Our friends called this "Late Gothic"...maybe the one in Cologne is "Early Gothic"! Why quibble over magnificence, I say?! ...lol!
Did you go up to the roof? Its incredible up there amongst all the statues, through the arches etc. Again freezing cold and icy the day we climbed up but magnificent just the same.
Louise, these last few photos have been astounding. This one in particular, when I clicked on the thumnail and it came up, I was in awe of this Cathedral's intense beauty. The architectural desing with its wonderful detail is very eye appealing.
How imposing and grand! Cathedrals always have this feel about them! Every new day promises new sights and adventures, so happy you are enjoying them all! Catching up with your album is a pure delight, especially on a cold winter day like today! Greetings from Washington :-)
It' s a gorgeous building. I have once visited Milan, very briefly while waiting a plane back home. I wanted to see the opera, LaScala. We were looking around and I said to my friend: where on earth is it? And we were standing in front of it:) Lol, a bit embarrassing.
Are you sure it's the largest gothic cathedral in the world? We have one here in Cologne, and it's really tall! It's like five metres smaller than the Empire State... ;) Anyway, local patriotism aside, I love love love this shot, so spectacular! You have been in awe whilst there!
