"A Designing Town" Milan by tpal

Milan Travel Guide: 2,765 reviews and 6,830 photos

Carol in a flying buttress. - Milan
Carol in a flying buttress.
Everyone's Got An Opinion On Design

Several months after our visit, I have finally begun to recapture in my mind our trip to Milan. At about the same time Carol gave me a new "Tom Book", having decided that the type of books I enjoy now comprise an entire new genre. The book is "Brunelleschi's Dome" by Ross King. The book traces the history of the design and construction of the great dome of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. From this unexpected source came a sudden insight into a question I recalled asking on the roof of the Duomo in Milan, "What were they thinking?"

"Giangaleazzo Visconti, the duke of Milan...was a ginger-bearded tyrant, cruel and ambitious, whose coat of arms was suitably grisly: a coiled viper crushing in its jaws a tiny, struggling man... In 1385 Giangaleazzo had seized power in Milan by imprisoning and then poisoning his uncle, Bernabò Visconti, who also happened to be his father-in-law. To befit his new status Giangaleazzo had bribed the emperor Wenceslas IV to grant him the title duke of Milan. He also begun work on a new cathedral in Milan, an enormous Gothic structure complete with pinnacles and flying buttresses-precisely the sort of architecture to which (the Florentines) objected."

...Ross King


Apparently, what "they" were thinking about was to build "big and showy" in much the same way as the Germans and French had done using flying buttresses and ...at least in the minds of the Florentines, in a manner using solutions considered to be "ugly...awkward makeshifts".

Ok, ok...enough! What is going on? For years I thought the flying buttress was a somewhat elegant solution to a tricky engineering problem. Now it turns out that whole groups of people hated the design and not just on style but as it turns out for political reasons as well. It seems there was a lot of "that's the way they do it" going on even back then.

The Duomo's flying buttresses - Milan

The Duomo's flying buttresses

Of course, at the time of our trip to Milan Carol and I had none of these marvelous insights to temper our impressions of what we considered then...and still consider to be a magnificent cathedral. As we ascended to the roof of the Duomo, our excitement rose proportionally with each marble step. Ultimately we could not get enough of the views of the flying buttresses receding into perspective in much the same way as an image does in a mirrored elevator.

Milan is one the great design centers of the world. Carol and I have been involved in architecture and design most of our lives and in fact it is an important reason why we are together. We knew there would be wonderful opportunities in Milan to see things of great style and were excited by the prospects. The Duomo is what we did first.

  • Last visit to Milan: Oct 2004
  • Intro Updated Jan 11, 2005
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Reviews (13)

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Comments (17)

  • Reply
    JLBG's Profile Photo
    Feb 19, 2009 at 9:30 PM

    I was in Milano a long time ago, I should pay another visit. Ufficio etc is something like tax consultation office for the territory of Milan. Not sure that the Smart car would have handled your luggage! Passenger OR luggage!

  • Reply
    Mikebond's Profile Photo
    May 21, 2008 at 9:38 AM

    I visited Milano at Easter this year, it was my first visit as a tourist. I loved it! I saw a lot of churches and museums, but I don't know when and if my Milano page will be finished. Did you see the painted art nouveau house near Porta Venezia?

  • Reply
    penumbra's Profile Photo
    Dec 6, 2006 at 7:08 PM

    And there still aren’t very many smart cars on North American roads. Makes you wonders if the Europeans aren’t a bit smarter in this regard.

  • Reply
    hindu1936's Profile Photo
    Sep 9, 2006 at 7:25 PM

    thank you for the advice, photos and good detailed descriptions.

  • Reply
    evaanna's Profile Photo
    Apr 12, 2006 at 11:28 PM

    It is a real nuisance - you come to see a historic place once in your lifetime and all you see is the scaffolding. But I suppose they have to do restoration work sometime. Excellent page, making a very good reading, as always from you.

  • Reply
    DPando's Profile Photo
    Mar 13, 2006 at 4:53 AM

    wonderful tips my dear friends !!! nice time there....good to know from u

  • Reply
    VeronicaG's Profile Photo
    Jan 3, 2006 at 1:07 PM

    Milan has some very nice things to offer...A literary tip: Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling is a great read by Ross King, also. Happy New Year!

  • Reply
    masc4s's Profile Photo
    Dec 24, 2005 at 2:07 PM

    Great city, shane about the traffic! Another piece of excellent travel literacy, T &C

  • Reply
    Aurorae's Profile Photo
    Aug 26, 2005 at 1:19 AM

    I really should be working on my Milan page too, but I'm so lazy and uninspired.I always favor Como lake area for updates!I have never seen as many Smart's as in Italy!But sorry to disappoint you,I don't like them at all.

  • Reply
    catalysta's Profile Photo
    Aug 7, 2005 at 12:44 PM

    Yet another beautifully photographed and superbly written page - anyone with an appreciation of architecture & culture has to love your pages!...cat

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