Milan - The Italian City For Shopping and A Massive Cathedral!!!

I have to begin the blog with this picture ^^

How incredible is this view ....!!

Anyway

Back to the beginning

So my trip to Italy 🇮🇹 was a quickly organised turn around from where I thought I was spending summer but looking back I wouldn’t have it any other way - one of my favourite trips of all time :)

I had 2 week interrail pass ( A-M-A-Z-I-N-G ) btw!!! And I travelled to

• Milan
• Venice
• Florence
• Rome
• Naples

What a trip
Every city had its own little gems 💎

And I’m starting in MILAN BABY!!

I got into Milan early afternoon in the middle of August and my god it was warm !! True Italian summer I was getting myself into !!!

I checked into my hostel and got my map out !!

I was a good half an hour walk from the Cathedral (Duomo) but I packed my bag - water , suncream and my guide book and off I went to explore !!!! I don’t tad to rest a lot when only got a short stay in places !!! Explore explore walk explore sight see walk !!!!

I did 35,000 steps in my first day haha !!!

Time for another photo spam ..

Sun setting over the Stunning building on my first evening - dreamy !!!

I also treated myself to a delicious Pizza and tiramisu- Devine!!

Alright ... il show you !!!!!

Yum !!

Ok onto tourist things ...

Ladies reminder you need to cover you shoulders when going in to the cathedral... you can buy a shrug at the ticket office and it is worth the visit it’s beautiful inside ...
you can go up to the roof Terraces too I’ve just seen online - gutted I can’t of known about that - looks incredible !!!

I also remember eating a lot of gelato in the square !!! The queue was always out the door and that’s always a good sign !!!

The glass dome I’m about to show you is a shopping mall - everything is just so grand and lots of expensive shops !!

And this is the floor - just incredible how much detail on a floor that so many thousands of people walk over everyday ...

That evening during my dinner ( I always take my kindle when travelling alone - you don’t feel so alone if your lost in a book over eating !!)
I was looking on the map to see if I could find any thing else to go look at on my other day in Milan ..

I came across Castello Sforzesco I googled it as you do these days !!! To be welcomed with a Stunning looking fountain along side it ...
so that was my mission the next day to go find it :)

Another 35,000 steps that day too as was about 45 minutes from my hostel but I had a hat and my suncream on !! Very hot 🥵!! But I knew when I got there I could dip my feet into the beautiful fountain that laid before me ...

But first I went to look round Castello Sforzesco

Info straight from Wikipedia-

The castle has a quadrangular plan, on a site across the city's walls. The wall which once faced the countryside north to Milan has square towers and has an ogival gate. This was once accessed through a drawbridge. The northern tower is known as Torre della Corte, while the western one is called ''Torre del Tesoro: both received wide windows during the Sforza age.

The corner defended by the Torre Ducale is characterized by a loggia bridge, attributed to Bramante, and commissioned by Ludovico Sforza in the late 15th century to connect the Corte Ducale (the court in the area used as ducal residence) and the Cortile della Ghirlanda. This ghirlanda refers to a wall, protected by a ditch filled by water, built under Francesco Sforza, of which few traces remain today, including the Porta del Soccorso. Remains of two later ravelins can be seen in correspondence of the point in which the castle was joined by the city walls (near the Porta Comasina gate) and the Porta del Carmine. The Porta della Ghirlanda gate was entered through a ravelin (now lost) and had two entrances accessed through runways, on which lead to an underground passage which continued along the walls.

The external side which once faced the walled city has two round towers, commissioned by Francesco Sforza to replace the former square ones, which had become less suitable to defend against fire weapons. The central tower, called Torre del Filarete, is a modern reconstruction. The round towers lost the upper parts under the Austrians, which needed open space for their artillery. Their upper sector existing today is also a modern restoration. The Torre del Filarete and the Porta del Santo Spirito, located more southwards, are both preceded by a ravelin.

The main gate leads to a large court from which several internal features can be seen. These include the Tower of Bona of Savoy (1476) and the Rocchetta, a sort of internal defensive ridotto with a gate of its own. At the right of the Porta del Carmine are remains of two 15th century courts. The Rocchetta, whose access gate from the main court (a modern addition) features the coat of arms of the Sforza, has an internal courts with, on three sides, a portico with 15th century arcades. The Corte Ducale is the wing of the castle originally used as ducal residence; it features a court with two loggias, a smaller one at left and a larger one at its end, called Loggiato dell'Elefante due to the presence of a fresco of an elephant.

and I also treated myself to a iced coffee before heading to sit round the fountain for the afternoon ... must of been there 4/5 hours !!! Was mesmerising 😍

Ok ok il let you in to my little bit of heaven...

And that pretty much sums up Milan

I headed on the train to my next destination ( the travels were amazing by the way highly recommend travelling Italy by train - I was on my own but really did feel safe and loved every minute ..

Stay tuned for my next installment

The Beloved Venice - The City Of Love

Thank you For Reading

Kate xx