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Milan, City of Style & Cultureby
Valerie Summers
The
fabric of the Northern Italian city of style weaves together art, opera,
fashion, textiles and design. Unlike
most Italian cities which I have visited, the majority of Milan’s buildings,
like its products, are predominately modern, constructed during the post war
period. While Rome boasts the ancient, Milan is a cutting edge metropolis
bringing the latest and most innovative in design to the world. However, there remains several artistic
monuments, museums and classical buildings, which provide ample charm and a
sense of history.
At
one end of gallery, a monument to one of the great minds of all time, Leonardo
da Vinci portrayed with his Milanese students Boltraffio, Salaino, Marco d’ Oggiono and Cesare da Sesto stands at the
center of Piazza della Scala. The reliefs portray the different field of
work in which Leonardo was involved: painting (Last Supper), anatomy (equestrian statue of Sforza),
architecture (fortifications) and physics (hydraulic engineering). The
northwest side of the square is occupied by the internationally celebrated
Teatro alla Scala. The theater, with its 2,000 seats is one of the largest
theatres in Europe. The Scala, as the
theater is known for short, is famous for its exceptional acoustics. To have an
engagement here is the highest aim of performers from the world of opera. The
luminaries who have performed in La Scala is staggering from its opening in
1778 with Antonio Salieri’s not well remembered opera, “Europe’s Recognition”
to 12 year old Rossini’s sensational performance in 1812, to Donizetti’s debut of six of his operas to the
premiere of Bellini’s “Foreigner.” These composers dominated the operatic arena until the brilliant,
prolific Giuseppe Verdi bounded on the scene. His contributions were followed by the astounding success of Puccini’s
“Madame Butterfly” which premiered at Scala. Arturo Toscanini later heralded an era in which the famous conductor
transformed the Scala once again into one of the leading of houses of the
world…but to me, it will always remain number one. The
simple facade of the Scala came as a surprise, for I anticipated something much
more elaborate. Once inside, it was all
that I had dreamed it would be with its plush red velvet and gold interior,
elegant multi-storied rows of boxes creating a semi circle up to the stage, and
a dramatic chandelier descending from the ceiling. The stylishly garbed audience created a show of fashion with the
exception of a few tee-shirt clad Americans. The performance of Gluck’s
“Armide,” although not well known, offered a stunning visual and acoustical
experience. Prior
to the evening performance, I visited the Museo Teatrale alla Scala celebrating
Greek and Roman theater and Old Italian comedy in addition to documenting the
history of the Scala. The exhibits included portraits of opera greats,
costumes, a collection of Attic vases, Greek, Roman and Etruscan bronzes and
coins. Two rooms housed the Verdi
collection, providing a rich pictorial documentation of the life of the master
including some original scores and his first spinet. Continuing
my cultural tour of Milan, I ventured into a series of museums, formerly great
private palazzos. The first, Museo
Poldi Pezzoli, just two short blocks from Scala, housed the diverse collections of nobleman Gian Giacomo Poldi
Pezzoli. The 25 rooms were rebuilt after the 1943 air raids, keeping as close
as possible to the charm of the original furnishings. Adjacent to the book collection on the first floor, black wooden
cabinets housed a hidden collection of inlaid fans, embroidery and lace. A baroque fountain by Petiti stood at the
base of a grand spiral burgundy carpeted staircase which led to the second
floor where I viewed the collections of religious themed paintings, porcelain,
antique compasses, an ornate gun collection, bronze statuary and suits of armor
and weapons. Further along, the Dante
room, a clock room exhibiting clocks and gold and silver pocket watches from
the 1700’s, a jewelry display and paintings by Tiepolo, Botticelli, Guardi, del
Pollaiolo and Mantegna. My
next stop, also close by Scala, originally the Bagatti Valsecchi Palace, was
conceived of by brothers Fausto and Giuseppe Bagatti Valsecchi. The noble brothers, entrenched in the
cultural and artistic life of Milan’s wealthy aristocracy, conceived the idea
of building a home inspired 16th century Italian palazzi and
furnishing it with objects of the Lombard Renaissance period. In 1994 it was opened to the public as a
museum. As I wandered through the 17 rooms filled with rich collections of
furniture, ceramic, arms and tapestries, 15th and 16th
century paintings I sensed a way of life of centuries past. The extraordinary museum shop’s collection
features objects d’ art inspired by the Balgatti Valsecchi atmosphere.
The
contrasts of Milan are startling. It is
at once the commercial hub of the country with the softness of its rich
past. The gargantuan cathedral
dominates the city and in its shadow, tiny boutiques displaying enormous price
tags, fine public gardens and squares
where people come together, home to some of the greatest music the world has
ever known, a heritage of fine art and a glimpse of times past. For
more information:
British
Airways British
Airways, the world’s and my favorite airline, provides on-time service, attentive personnel, delicious meals,
comfortable seating and an unbeatable safety record. Through April 30, 2000, BA is offering a very special
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tickets to anywhere in the world. Four
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Superior
first class accommodations, providing comfortable, clean, well appointed
rooms with modern amenities. During the summer months, the private garden
offers guests a quiet retreat in the heart of the city. Centrally located within walking distance of
the main railway station, Duomo Cathedral, La Scala Opera House, the shopping streets of Via della Spiga, Via
Montenapoleone, Via Manzoni and just across the street from the beautiful
public gardens. Bagatti
Valsecchi Museum Poldi
Pezzoli Museum Teatro
alla Scala |
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The
most famous building associated with Milan is the gigantic Italian Gothic
cathedral at the city’s center. The saga of the construction of the Milan
cathedral began in 1386 and was supposedly completed in the mid-20th
century. This most interesting architectural achievement reflects a variety of
styles that succeeded each other during the course of its long period of
construction. One of Europe’s largest cathedrals, its
ornamentation includes more than 2,000 carved statues, elaborate tombs, vibrant
stained glass windows and religious statuary. During my recent visit,
construction still appeared to be in progress with the entire plaza which
fronts the duomo, a mass of machinery, scaffolding and construction. In the
middle of the Cathedral Square, high above the chaos, stood the bronze
equestrian statue of Victor Emanuel.
Adjacent
to the cathedral , Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, a monumental complex of intersecting arcades forms the link between the
Piazza del Duomo and the Piazza della Scala. It is often referred to as the Salon of Milan because, with its elegant
cafés and shops, it is the place where people traditionally converge. I often stopped for a coffee and some
serious people watching after browsing the shops. Built between 1865 and 1867, in Renaissance style, the
glass-roofed arcade resembles a grand old train station. As I emerged one day, a group of
fun-loving men, women and children,
exuberantly sang and danced around a clown on stilts, just outside the
Galleria…an example of Italian
spontaneity.
Now,
in the 21st century, the art of fashion and design is displayed on
the fashionable streets of Milan in many shop windows. Exquisite furniture and cutting edge
fixtures fill the displays. As the
fashion metropolis of Italy and perhaps the world, I cruised the streets
of Via Spiga, Via Montenapoleone and
Via Massini, gazing at the brilliant designs of Ungaro, Gucci, Valentino,
Armani and too many more to mention. It
was feast of rich fabric and exquisite
design. 
The
old and the new come together in this dramatically reborn 15th
century monastery. More like an
intimate palazzo than a hotel, Four
Seasons guests enjoy a location within
a heartbeat of the finest of historic and contemporary Milan. Spacious,
luxurious, individually decorated rooms reflect Italian design with sumptuous
Fontuny fabrics and exclusive pear and sycamore burl cabinetry. Without exception, the Four Seasons offers
unmatched personal service for all guests and the ultimate in luxury.