Tuesday Travels: Milan Cathedral

Photo: Tourists flock to the huge, multi-spired cathedral in Milan

Our introduction to Italy began in Milan. We arrived at the Milan airport on the morning of January 20, after a red-eye flight. We had just enough time to check into the hotel before our tour began. That first day was a bit of a blur!

One of our first stops was to the cathedral, or duomo. It is the largest duomo in Italy. (St. Peter's Basilica is bigger, but it is in Vatican City, which is separate from Italy.) 

Photo: The line of tourists waiting to get inside is dwarfed by the massive, ornate Milan duomo

Once we got through security, we entered the building. A priest was leading mass, but the duomo easily held both tourists and parishioners. 

Photo: Smoke rises from a mass service inside the Milan cathedral

Our guide pointed out a very detailed sculpture of St. Bartholomew. She said that sculptures helped teach muscular systems before dissections were allowed. 

Photo: A statue of a very well-defined St. Bartholomew 

Our visit to the duomo in Milan was a good introduction to how we would feel during the rest of our vacation in Italy: overwhelmed and awed. We tried to soak in as much architecture, art, and history as we could.