MILAN - day 3

The next day saw us out again bright and early, heading towards the Cimiterio Monumentale. For some reason, I wasn’t all that enthusiastic about visiting the cemetery, but as soon as I got there, I was amazed at the huge russet red and white building.



Inside, there were colonnades and arches each filled with the tombs of notable Milanese, and views over the grounds. The central atrium was more like a cathedral than a cemetery and was decorated in rich blues and golds. The more important statues are here protected from the weather, and there are also plaques for famous people like Leonardo da Vinci.



Below, the graves have been arranged more along the lines of a garden than a cemetery, and there are even information posts to show where you can find the tombs and statues of note. Some of the funerary statues were amazingly detailed and really beautiful – there was even one depicting the Last Supper in bronze





Unfortunately, the cloud overhead made decent photos impossible, so we wandered back to the crypt where all the war memorials are. It’s impossible for people of my age to fully comprehend the atrocities of the first and second world war, but it really brought home to me how young these boys were who were sent off to fight for their county.



We’d managed to spend a whole morning exploring the cemetery, so we decided to have a spot of lunch before our next visit, and settled into a table outside the Caffé Litta where we could watch the world go by whilst we tucked into vegetable risotto, cannelloni and cheesecake to follow – yum!



From here we had a view of the Palazzo Litta, but it was the less conventional sites that held our attention. First was a bloke dressed as Jesus (underpants, sandals and even a wooden laurel) who wandered past, hardly raising comment from the locals. Next was a woman in what looked like fancy dress but was probably a very expensive haute couture dress and heels so high that as she was riding her bike along the cobbles (!) her heels were scraping the stones.

Just along from here is the little known Monastero Maggiore di San Maurizo.



There is no entry fee here and guides are on hand to talk to you about the monastery and the history of its frescos. I was surprised that photos were allowed (without flash) in most places in Milan, and they came out surprisingly well.



We had two guide books with us; Michelin Guide in French and a DK Top 10 of Milan but neither gave this rave reviews because this church is truly a work of art. Even if it wasn’t really my cup of tea, you can’t help but appreciate the work and dedication to complete something like this.



From here, we headed to San Lorenzo Maggiore. I’d read about the row of 16 free standing Corinthian columns but to be honest, the back drop of graffiti covered buildings did nothing to enhance setting and I really wasn’t impressed. It was only 2pm and like most places in Italy, the church itself was closed until 2:30pm, so we decided to press on to the Basilica and Museum of Sant’Eustorgio.



We were surprised to find that the entrance fee was 6€ for what looked like just a normal sized church, but actually it was well worth it. Behind the church was a series of rooms containing frescos and excavated columns, a vaulted room with views over the courtyard and a treasury room.



This is much more impressive than the treasury at the Duomo. OK, so the glass fronts are alarmed, but you can’t help thinking that otherwise, it is probably pretty much presented as it would have been when the monks were here.

The Sacristy (treasury room) leads to two inter-linked chapels, one of which is the Cappella Portinari





This is where the intricately carved marble sarcophagus for the bones of St. Peter the Martyr is kept. The frescos depict scenes from the life of the saint and the Virgin Mary. You can also visit the underground area of the church where they have excavated a Paleo-Christian cemetery. It was quite claustrophobic so not for scaredy cats like me – I couldn’t wait to get out!



Today was turning into a church tour as we headed back to San Lorenzo Maggiore to see the frescos from the 4th and 5th century. Entry to the mosaics was just 2€, but after the amazing artwork we had see already today, we’d become a bit blasé so we didn’t linger long.



We headed back towards the hotel via the Via Dante which is another pedestrianised shopping street filled with café tables and parasols, sun bleached stone buildings and old fashioned shops.



As we meandered towards the metro, we came across a little man sitting on the pavement carving beautiful animals and flowers from vegetables! They were so lifelike it was incredible, so we dropped a couple of euros in the pot and chose a carrot goldfish on a stick.



We were so excited until reality kicked in and we wondered what we’d actually do with it tomorrow when we had to get back to the airport for our visit to Lake Como, so we gave it back and asked if we could take a few extra close-up photos instead.



We’d stuffed ourselves so much at lunchtime that I really couldn’t face another filling pasta meal, so instead we opted for an aperitif and the buffet at our favourite bar Cin Cin in the Corso Buenos Aires before an early night.