A day in Milan

Milan is a great Roman city which one can get a glimpse even for just a day - starting off with its famous cathedral Duomo, other interesting structures near the square where Duomo is, to the Castello.
You would know you are already looking at Duomo when you see its majestic beauty looming. It's like a castle floating in the midst of all the structure in the square. Just being around it makes me feel I am in the medieval period. Its structure is nothing like any cathedral I have seen before. We do have many churches up in northern Philippines, where i came from. In fact, our place is a fave destination for a pilgrimage. But Duomo is different. It's like a massive crown that mesmerizes me.

We reached Duomo late in the afternoon, at about 5 PM, and it was very timely. During this hour of the day, the sun is down casting light upon Duomo and it shines like a white marble thing leaving the rest in the dark. No wonder, Duomo was made of bricks and pink marble of Candoglia.



Something interesting:
Duomo is a gothic cathedral that took nearly 6 centuries to complete. The groundbreaking was in 1386 but was said to be completed only in 1965. It is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. It was in this cathedral that Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned King of Italy.




The photo above shows that Duomo is magnificent as well on the inside. The pillars are so huge. Photo below captures the back-side of Duomo, which is equally breathtaking in terms of its architectural design. I just so love how the windows were so ornately done into playful, beautiful swirls. Its top is shown to be under construction.

On the left side of Duomo, you can find the Ferrari Store which is worth checking.



Next to the Duomo is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II (photo above). It was nice to see a group of Brazilians also visiting Milan, we were told the group is actually the volleyball team of Brazil.
Walk past the Galleria and head to the Castello Sforzesco (Sforza Castle). It was so great walking on cobblestones. I saw a vintage-looking tram which just fits right with the background of old buildings. 'passed by this store showcasing Pinocchio. I was so lucky to have been there during the Eurocup hype, that night the Italian team was to face Spain in the finale, where Spain swiftly won, of course. These are some of the reasons why I prefer to walk my feet to the places I'd like to see. You get to know more and see more about the place.

From the Castello, you could see the Parco Sempione, where people go during summer to sunbathe or just relax. From here you can also see the Arco dela Pace (see my photo below).
Suggested walking route: 
Duomo, Ferrari Store, Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle, walk through Via Dante, Sforza Castle, Parco Sempione, Arco dela Pace

Practical Stuffs:
If you intend to go inside the Duomo, wear something decent because shorts and spaghetti straps are not allowed inside. Also, if you are interested in the city tour, which I recommend, it costs 20 Euros for adults and 10 for children 5 to 15 years old. The ticket is valid for 48 hours.
Source: Wikipedia