Passport to Europe: Milan, Italy
Here is a new video from my trip to Milan two weeks ago. I hope you enjoy!
Quick Update!!!
Happy summer! The last few months have been very busy but enjoyable. I spent two weeks in Lourdes, France assisting English-speaking pilgrims. I then spent the following twelve days welcoming the New Men (1st Year Theology Seminarians at the NAC) in Rome. It was great to give back to the seminary in this way. It was a lot of work, but I think that the New Men really enjoyed their first week in Rome and left for their language studies with a feeling that the North American College is now their home for the next four to five years.
After the Early Orientation for the New Men, I returned to Verbania, Italy for continuing language studies for three weeks. I am just now finishing my second week. Verbania is great because I am able to study and also travel on weekends. Last weekend I went to Locarno, Switzerland on Saturday and Milan, Italy on Sunday. They were both great experiences. This afternoon I will depart for Cinque Terre (the “Five Lands”) on the Mediterranean Sea for the weekend. I have always wanted to visit Cinque Terre and now I will finally have a chance!
After my last week of Italian studies, I will travel to Austria and I will be back in Rome at the beginning of September to begin my Homily seminar.
Sorry for not taking the time to write anything recently. I will try to write more often in the coming months. By the way, I had been recording some great video blogs over the past weekend, but the program I use stopped working properly. I am hoping that I can reinstall the program when I get back to Rome.
Until then…
Visiting the Saints of Milan
Today I traveled to the financial capital of Italy, Milan. I was surprised by the quick hour and a half train ride to the main train station in Milan. It was an amazing moment to step out of the subway tunnel in Piazza del Duomo and experience the grandeur and magnificence of the Cathedral of Milan. It took a few moments to realize the shear massiveness of the fourth largest church in Europe. The marble that adorns the cathedral actually came from the Lago Maggiore region of Northern Italy, which is where I have been staying for language studies. For a building that took over four hundred years to build, it is… breathtaking!
Me standing in front of the Cathedral of Milan.
Every inch of the Duomo is ornate.
After we arrived at the Duomo, we ran inside just in time for Daily Mass. In Milan, the Ambrosian Rite of the Catholic Church is celebrated. This was my first Ambrosian Rite Mass, but it seemed very similar to the Latin Rite (which we mostly experience in the United States.) After Mass, we explored the rest of the cathedral and I was even able to go below the main altar and pray for the intercession of Saint Charles Borromeo, the patron Saint of seminarians, in front of his glass entombed body. It was pretty amazing. There is also a beautiful crypt church located below the main level. The Duomo may be my favorite church I have seen in Europe, second only to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Looking towards the Main Altar at the Cathedral of Milan.
The Body of St. Charles Borromeo.
After enjoying the Cathedral, we walked to the Leonardo da Vinci Fondazione Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Technologia. In short, the Mseum of Leonardo da Vinci’s Inventions. It was a huge museum tracing science and technology that we have today back through human history and development. It was an interesting museum, but also a little boring! Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions were ingenious!
This is a model based on one of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings.
The museum also housed other exhibits, including a section on the development of modern-day instruments. I found a 12-stringed violin-ish thing.
This was the scroll of a 12-stringed violin-type instrument. I bet my brother, Landon, would love to play this monster!
After the museum, we visited the Basilica of St. Ambrose and then went back to the Duomo to have a Holy Hour. It was a fun day, but I am exhausted!!!
