Milan, Italy





Milan was one of the more bustling cities we visited during our holiday. While it has the sidewalk cafes where tourists and locals alike are leisurely enjoying an espresso or some gelato, it is a thriving metropolitan area and is known as the fashion capital of Italy.  We did do some shopping while we were in the city, although most of our time was spent touring the Duomo of Milan.













The Duomo is one of the largest and grandest Gothic cathedrals in the world. Its exterior is white marble, with spires and statues on its façade. Inside it can hold 40,000 people inside.









Construction, which began in 1386,  took six centuries to complete due to funding delays, politics, and the seemingly insurmountable task of completing it.

Napoleon made it a priority to get the final stages of construction completed so he could be crowned King of Italy in the Cathedral in 1805.

The last door was inaugurated in 1965. With these tourists included in the picture, you get a better perspective of the size of these magnificent entrance doors.




As we walked from our hotel to the Cathedral, we passed through the Porta Nuova (the new gate).  This gate was built by Napoleon in 1810 to celebrate his rule over Italy.









Because we were on a castle theme in Italy, we visited the Sforzesco Castle in Milan.


Construction on this large fortress, which included its large moat to provide the initial line of defence,  began in 1358 and continued for centuries. The castle now houses many of Milan’s city museums.

Location: Milan, Metropolitan City of Milan, Italy

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