This is one of the most beautiful churches I have seen in Italy…read more Considered the "Sistine Chapel" of Milano, San Maurizio is overwhelmingly blessed with walls and ceilings decorated by one of the masters of frescoes Bernardino Luini and his sons. Entering through the doorway of the Archeological Museum, you walk to the left to the entrance. Once inside, your eyes are mesmerized by the frescoes of men and women dressed in flowing robes as appropriate in the mid-1500s. There is a huge organ on the second floor looming over wooden choir seats. The frescoes are on a wall separating the church where the general masses sit and the hidden portion of the church where nuns par tipster in the service. The towards the back are frescoes from passages of the Bible such as Noah's Ark, the passion of Christ, etc. The volume of art was spectacular. Having just been restored the color are so freshr-looking you could be looking at the scenes as they would have appeared when the Master artists finished their work. Entrance is free but please do tmake a donation to support this incredible treasure.

The Duomo is Milan's most beautiful church by exterior, but he has a competitor for the most…read morebeautiful church by interior: San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, a former nunnery! Behind a virtually nonexistence facade, San Maurizio hides perhaps one of the most ornate church interiors and can actually compete with the famous Sistine Chapel. From the moment you step in the door - assuming you finally find the right door - you will be awed by the incredibly colorful paintings that surround you! Despite being in a small room, the vast amount of the beautiful paintings can spell-bind you for a while. Additionally, for the first time in history, you as a public member can finally pass through the partition wall into the previously restricted nunnery hall! Like the public worship hall across the wall, the nunnery hall is also filled with paintings. However, while the worship hall paintings are intended to awe the public the divine grace with vibrant colors, the nunnery hall paintings intend to invoke piety with serenely-colored examples of female saints. You can admire for a few minutes or examine for hours, but this church is certainly a sight that you should not miss! Did I miss it's free to enter? --- tl;dr version: 1) Perhaps Milan's most beautiful interior 2) Small spaces that are filled with marvelous paintings 3) Free sight that should not be missed

Almost too hard to miss when beginning your street hiking in Brunate…read more 14th century build ~ unbelievable how this was constructed so long ago atop of the mountain. The sanctuary design still has you feel awe & peace when taking a moment of pause. An amazing presence for the neighborhood.

This church is the example of the Roman-Lombard art, built almost a thousand of years ago by the…read moreMasters of Como, with a polychrome wooden sculpture of the Buried Christ of the Spanish-Baroque school. It has sort of stylish vibe and would be interesting to check out, and I enjoyed exploring this church during the visit at Bellagio.

Gayle and I paid a respectful visit here during our recent walking tour of Bellagio. This Church is…read morea fine example of 12th Century Roman-Lombard art and was built between 1075 and 1125 by the Masters of Como. The inside mosaics are most impressive to behold.

We were able to secure a much coveted time slot for a 15 minute viewing of the ORIGINAL Last Supper…read moremural, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th century on the refectory's wall within the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent. Entry was EXTREMELY regimented, most likely to preserve the room temperature and humidity conditions. After all, Leonardo da Vinci used a "dry" technique to paint the mural and while he was able to achieve the dark shading and overall somber effect, it left the mural very, very fragile. We had a 14:45 time slot. At 14:30 they let us in the first door from the plaza. We then proceeded through various doorways where we waited 5 minutes in each section before proceeding to the next. At 14:45 on the dot, the doors to the viewing room opened. We were pretty much the first ones through with people behind us itching to get in front of us. Like the anxiety was palpable. I was glad to have viewed this very sacred, masterful piece of art, the original really showcasing Judas in a VERY different light (like literally, he was very obviously "cast in shadows"). 15 minutes was more than enough time to view the mural since each time slot was maxed out at 40 people and the room never felt overly crowded. We had no guide, but the information placards -- though there were few -- did impart enough history to allow for ample immersion. I am by no means a devout Catholic, but the mural did elicit some awe and fascination!

Most people come to Milan for the fashion and to see the Duomo di Milano, but my main reason?…read moreConnecting with my Christian roots and seeing The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. This painting is known all over the world--whether you're religious or not, it's hard to NOT know this painting. Seeing it in person is just as breathtaking as expected. Highly recommend: set your calendar and book tickets at the earliest time 3 months in advance! Though you can hire a tour guide, I didn't find it necessary, since I found everything I needed to know about the Last Supper via AI. Since tickets are strictly timed, show up a bit earlier than your slot. Tickets allot a 15-minute viewing time. Once the 15-minutes are up, you WILL be escorted as a group out to allow for the next group.

Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio had been on our Milan must see list, but now on our final day, we weren't…read moresure if we could fit it in. Coming out of the Brera Museum in late afternoon, we miraculously found a taxi and sped over to the Basilica, arriving with an hour to spare. It definitely was worth it. Very historic , ancient church, originally from the fourth century, then rebuilt in the 12th in this beautiful Romanesque style. The church, with its gorgeous columns, paintings and sculpture offers a calm and serene sanctuary for spiritual reflection. Lovely chapels abound. Photos are fortunately okay here, as the architecture give you some beautiful shots. The church is a distance from the main historic center, so you need to go a little out of your way to get here, but lovers of historic churches will find its worth the effort.

An astonishingly beautiful church located near the university. Access through the courtyard is…read moresomewhat hard to find. Once inside you will be rewarded for the fort as you take in beautiful paintings and tile work. Always look up! Many of the cul de sacs have coin operated lights. Pay the money as the lighting is designed to accent the best features. Pause and pray for your needs as He is always there for you.

Varenna is a traditional village, located in the eastern shore of Lake Como, which is an optional…read morestop for anyone visiting Como area. It's a small town, very walkable, usually visiting duration would be around one hour if you're with any day tour. I would suggest you to come on your own if you don't wish being rushed.

Very cute little town. We took a quick boat from Bellaggio. If you want to see Villa Cipressi…read moregarden it's 8eur pp. Varenna also has Villa Monastero - admission to its garden for a fee. We choose Villa Cipressi because it was closer. It was very gorgeous, we took plenty of photos, enjoyed beautiful lake view seating in a nice shade. Walk from ferry its very simple but its uphill so bring water with you. We went in September and still it was very hot and sunny. There is not so much shade there either. Also you can hike to Castello di Vezio to get beautiful view of the village but be aware it's very steep. It takes around 40 minutes. Also while walking you will see beautiful narrow streets, water views , little church and small stores & restaurants. After that we hoped on other ferry to go to Menaggio. You can visit all of these places within a 1 day like we did.

Fantastic visit to the Duomo di Milon, or Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint…read moreMary, during our visit to Italy. It's the largest duomo in Italy (St Peter's is in the Vatican) and we both thought it's the most impressive on the outside. The history of the duomo is fascinating as you will learn about its construction on the tour. BTW, there are basically 3 areas to tour 1) duomo outside and interior 2) exterior roof tour, and an artifacts tour underneath the main floor. Construction began in 1386 and the cathedral wasn't officially completed until the 20th century. The architectural influences in that time are incorporated - medieval, Renaissance and later. Unlike most cathedrals, you can walk extensively across the roof during the roof tour between the flying buttresses, and pinnacles. The roof has 135 spires and thousands of statues, making the exterior astounding! At the top of the central spire stands the famous golden statue of the Virgin Mary, the symbol of Milan. The interior is very unique as well. One of the most unusual features - an astronomical clock built in 1786!At solar noon, sunlight passing through a tiny opening creates a spot of light on the line, allowing the cathedral's astronomers to determine true solar noon. Check it out - you will be glad you did!

Beautiful architecture, inside and out. The inside was busy but I was lucky enough to go during…read moreSunday mass, which probably accounted for half the people in there. I had to leave for another experience and came back later to see the Crypt. Some of the staff gave me a hard time about coming back in, wondering why I needed to leave even though I explained I didn't want to wait for 2 hours in the cathedral. I was able to visit the Crypt, which is only open for a short while. It's a beautiful experience if you're able to fit it in. Taking photos inside the Crypt is prohibited. Outside is very busy so be cautious of pick pockets and scammers...they are everywhere. Toilets are available to one side but for a fee.

Great place to visit. Do not miss it. It has sanctity of Holy Land as keeps the Holy Relics of…read moreThree Magies, who pro-stress to Christ, to whom God gave the star to find the newly born Christ. The sarcophagi is brought from Constantinepoleos and it serves as foundation to Basilica. Here you have a museum as well where you will find different Holy relics of Different saints. The place is highly recommended. Not too many tourists visit it, so it is quite and nice place to go. Do not miss!

When the crowds of the Duomo make you want to vomit, the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio church is your…read morePepto Bismol. For many years the Basilica important stop for pilgrims on their journey to Rome or to the Holy Land, because it was the site of the tomb of the Three Magi (most likely founded in the 4th century). Now it's more of a stop for students eating lunch on the lawn, but it's still a fairly formidable site and worth visiting. Lesser known fact: several quite famous musicians are fond of the small building that houses a non-descript basement recording studio that's located across from the south-eastern side of the building. Seems fairly booked every day, so show up in the afternoon and get your own muffled, private concert outside. Look for the paparazzi who lurk, Canon in hand, while waiting to get a shot of Katy Perry or Sia.