Field Trip

On Saturday June 11, 2016 I attended the field trip arranged by the study abroad program. During the field trip we visited the Teatro alla Scala, Sforza Castel, and the cathedral Mariae Nascenti. The cathedral Mariae Nascenti is very impressive.

Cathedral Mariae Nascent

The cathedral Mariae Nascenti or the Duomo as the Italians call it is literally at the center of Milan. It took almost six centuries to be finished. The construction began in the Middle Ages in 1386 and was finished in 1965. Due to the extended construction period different styles like Gothic and Flamboyant can be seen throughout the cathedral. It’s amazing to see how all the styles blend together making the architecture of the cathedral look surprisingly homogenous. When I entered the cathedral I wasn’t able to distinguish between the different styles until I took a closer look.

Outside in the front of the cathedral a sign with Mariae Nascenti is located because the cathedral was dedicated to St Mary of the Nativity.

The cathedral is illuminated with various stained glass windows, but even though the cathedral has various windows the interior seems dark. Many of the stained glass windows around the cathedral are scenes from the Old Testament.

The floor of the cathedral is made of white, black, and light brown marble.

I didn’t get to tour the cathedral’s roof, but visitors can pay a small fee to explore the cathedral’s roof.

The interior and the exterior of the cathedral are decorated with a great number of statues. The statue that really got caught my attention was the San Bartolomeo statue by Marco d’Agrate. San Bartolomeo was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus who was skinned alive. San Bartolomeo is represented in several works of arts. In this work of art San Bartolomeo’s skin is wrapped around him.

I really enjoyed touring the Duomo!