The Taller the Spires, the Closer to God

The Taller the Spires, the Closer to God. Milan, Italy. May 2015.

Life in Milan centers around the Duomo di Milano. It is a magnificent gothic structure of flying buttresses and spires that took nearly 600 years to complete. It is hard to fathom, but all the marble for the duomo originates from one quarry, the Candoglia Quarry, located near Lago Maggiore about 100km north of Milan. This exclusive agreement has been in place for centuries and it means that marble mined from this quarry can only be used to restore the Duomo di Milano and no other project. This makes the cathedral something truly special.

As you can imagine, transporting this much marble in the 1300s was a massive endeavor and at this time Milan had navigli or canals (believed to be designed by da Vinci) snaking through the city that helped bring these massive blocks all the way down south through a system of locks.

The rooftop of the duomo is open to the public and from there you can truly appreciate the craftsmanship and architecture of the cathedral. Apparently there are more statues on the duomo than any other structure in the world.

The duomo is such a staple of daily life in Milan and is easily taken for granted, that is why photos like this remind me of how good I had it!

Rose Tinted Marble

Rose Tinted Marble. Modena, Italy. March 2016. 

Modena, the home of Pavarotti, Bottura, Ferrari, Maserati, and this pink façade, is a small city that packs a big punch. I ate my way through the city, feasting on tortellini in brodo and endless gnocco fritto, famous specialities of Modena. I left feeling like a fried ball of dough.

In between meals and snacks, I was able to visit non-food related places including the duomo. This romanesque cathedral dates back to 1099 and took almost 200 years to complete. It is located in the Piazza Grande and pictured above is actually the side door, the "Porta Regia" aka the Royal Gate. This is the only side of the cathedral constructed in rose colored marble so it stands apart from the other exteriors. Similar to the pink façade, Modena itself is a standout amongst the others in northern Italy and not just for the balsamic vinegar.

Here I Am

Here I Am. Milan, Italy. May 2015.  

I apologize for the long quiet absence from sharonyang.com. About three weeks ago I moved to Milan to take a grand leap of faith across the Atlantic and join the USA Pavilion staff at Expo Milano 2015. Doors opened to the World Expo on May 1st and it has been a whirlwind leading up to the Expo and a whirlwind since doors opened. I have not had much free time to see the city just yet, but I have seen some fantastic international pavilions on Expo grounds. The Expo is going to provide a lot of great content so I hope you are still there and interested in seeing what life will be like for the next 6 months. 

The photo above was taken on the one day off I have had so far. I was determined to spend sunset on the roof terrace of The Duomo. I stayed on the roof for two and a half hours, perhaps a little excessive, but I met a lot of interesting people while there; a group of young men from London, an American couple, and a group of instagrammers from around Milan. I struck up a particularly nice conversation with Marco Lamberto, one of the IG meet up members who is an excellent photographer. Marco was kind enough to take some photos of me since I was spending the evening sola.

I promise to pick up the speed and start posting again so I hope you continue to come back!