Our last day in Milan we had a tour of the Duomo scheduled for mid-afternoon. So first we covered a bunch of sights in the middle of the city.
Our first stop was Piazza dei Mercanti, which is not far at all from the Duomo. It's a small square which held the center of political power in the city during the 13th century.
In the middle of the Piazza dei Mercanti is an arcaded, red brick building that served as City Hall, (Palazzo della Ragione) and the market hall. The building is so big it bisects the square into two parts.
The buildings are replete with the symbol of the powerful Sforza and Visconti families who ran Milan -- the snake. It's kind of cool, but also kind of weird that the ruling families chose the snake as their symbol. I guess they were more about fear than love, but their ability to make peace with both the Medici family in Florence and the Doges of Venice.
That peaceful era brought stability, which allowed the Renaissance to flourish, so they weren't total snakes.
On the south side of the square there is a wellhead of note, and a balcony from which new laws were announced. The balcony has a coat of arms, which of course means the snake.
On the north side of the square is the Palace of Justice, which is a 16th century courthouse with a clock tower, a market for crafts, the bank, the city's first university, and its prison.
This neat fountain is actually
located by our hotel, but
I needed to include it, so
here it is!
This is NOT original artwork
from the 12th century at the
east entrance to Piazza
dei Mercanti.
The Hall of Justice.
"The union of the snake is on
the climb." Let's face it, in
the 1980s Duran Duran was
so good, they named it twice.
Part of the arcaded City Hall and market.
It's still used as a market today. We didn't
get there in time for the market. No biggie.
Our next step was to go see the bird. Not a bird, but THE bird. In Piazza degli Affari, which is the center of Milan's important financial district.
The buildings aren't noteworthy for their architecture, as they were built in the fascist style under Mussolini in the 1930s. The square does hold Italy's stock exchange, the Borsa.
In the center of the square, above the old Roman theater (now underground), there are, as Rick Steves wrote, "stern statues representing various labors and occupations celebrating the nobility of workers -- typical whistle-while-you-work fascist themes."
But the newest statue is the best. And by best, I mean weirdest, most surprising, and most unusual. In the midst of the 2009 recession, there was a contest to recommend a sculpture befitting of the financial district. Here it is in all its glory:
Carol's photo is the best
because the blue sky makes
the finger stand out.
My photo isn't as good, but
it does show the detail of
the veins.
Yup, that's a statue of a middle finger. Because the finger faces the people and not the stock exchange/banks, it represents the one percent flipping the bird to the 99%. It's a striking 36 foot tall Carrara marble statue made by Maurizio Catelan, the most controversial Italian sculptor of our day. The statue is titled L.O.V.E and was temporary at first, but because people thought it so appropriate, it is now there to stay.
So while Wall Street has the charging bull, Milan's symbol is not quite as positive towards the rich bankers and investment funds. But, it is an unambiguous message to the corporate world.
L.O.V.E. stands for Liberta, Odio, Vendetta, Eternita (Freedom, Hate, Vengeance, Eternity). Pro tip: Never be on the wrong side of an Italian when vengeance is a thing.
My only regret is not taking a selfie with the statue whilst flipping the bird! If you can't tell, I was fascinated by this whole thing!
The unexpected surprise was an auto show, with (mostly) sports cars jam-parked into the Piazza degli Affari. This is not a fee situation -- just like in my Fort Hunt neighborhood, car enthusiasts show up on a Sunday, open the hoods, and stand around admiring the cars of other enthusiasts.
We've been invited to attend our local show to show off Carol's beautiful convertible Jaguar, but have demurred. I can't see myself talking about having "adjusted the slobberknocker to make the engine purr and increase the air intake level for more speed" with people who could immediately tell I have no idea what I'm talking about.
Anyhow, along with the middle finger in the middle of the square, walking around the classic (mostly) sports cars was pretty cool. It was near the end, as someone used a microphone and speaker to make announcements. I assume they were announcing the winners of the various classes of cars, but I don't know for certain.
Here's some car porn for your viewing pleasure:
Okay, this guy isn't a car. He's making
announcements of some sort.
Also not a car, but a cool pic of a guy and a dog.
No comments:
Post a Comment