Milano

Of the places we have visited, Milan is most characteristic of a modern city. It’s also quite old, however, and the contrast between various-aged buildings stands out, as well as the range of times, cultures, and architectural periods they span.

            The duomo, or cathedral, ranks among the oldest Milanese structures, although some parts have been or are in the process of being restored. The vivid colors of the intricately beautiful stained-glass windows stand out prominently against the dark interior with its high, vaulted ceilings and grey stone.

                          

            In going to the roof of the cathedral, we found ourselves among the parapets, rather than in a small space above a dome, as is the case with several others. We were, rather, next to a larger – and thus more gently-sloped – dome. It is possible, from up there, to see through some the shorter downspouts of the rain gutters, leading from the cornice out a few feet away from the walls, and ceasing, in mid-air, to exist. They might be described as decorative narrow cylindrical tunnels made of and extending through the stone of the cathedral.

            From these parapets, we could also see a clock set on top of a nearby building. Behind this clock lie several residences and rooftop gardens. Either that clock or another nearby - most likely both - struck the time while we were still in the heights of the structure; either the hour or the half hour had been reached. It is incredibly useful to have clocks in public squares, and the bells send more wide-reaching alarms as to the time of the day.

            The number of clocks and bell towers in Italy is quite high, owing to the high number of churches and other grand old buildings, government and otherwise, which house them. The resulting bells are lovely and can be heard throughout the city or town at any hour of the day. They often ring at half and quarter hours as well. Their number is perhaps rivaled only by the number of statues and monuments standing in Italian piazzas.

Firenze

The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, or the duomo of Florence, stands as a fascinating object to gaze at. Quite large, it is yet composed almost entirely of beautifully intricate artwork. Even the architects' models and drawings — housed in the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore — must have taken inordinate amounts of time and skill. The amount of effort that the structure must have required, over its years of construction, bears witness to the dedication of those involved in it.

Some of the tools used in construction, or replicas of them, are displayed in the museum, as well as in a room adjoining the descending passageway of the cupola of the duomo. According to the museum, new tools and building techniques were invented specifically for its construction, not because such a dome had never previously been built, but because the ancient-Roman methods and devices originally used to build one had been forgotten by the medieval centuries.

The museum of the duomo houses, besides those objects already mentioned, a number of paintings of the cathedral as well as several pieces taken from the cathedral itself, at least some of which have been replaced by either permanent or temporary replicas. Some of these will remain indefinitely in the museum or some other indoor situation, while others have been recently restored and will soon be returned to their places within the cathedral. The museum displays these pieces of art from the duomo at closer range, and the intricacy of each piece and of the whole becomes that much more astonishing.

The outer duomo surface boasts many statues. Among these are the Sybils, which stand in a row on the Campanile, or bell tower, which stands next to the cathedral. These figures refer to the pagan prophetesses of Ancient Rome, who were believed to have foretelling abilities. According to the information in the museum, their presence was supposed to represent the connection between diverse religions, specifically that between the Jewish and Christian faiths and the historically Hebrew and Gentile peoples. The Sybils worked among the pagan Roman people, among whom Christianity eventually spread from the Jews. 

Venezia

Venice seems to have more tourists than locals, and many of those who are not tourists work in the city but do not live there. However, this imbalance does result in a mixing of the cultures brought in by the tourists. We stayed at a particular hotel with a German-speaking group as well as a French-speaking group, in addition to the Italian employees, members of each group would occasionally be present in the lobby simultaneously, and the room would fill with the words and differing tones of four languages.

The hotel itself stands as part of the continuous curving line of buildings on a street. Like many such buildings, its narrow front belies its size. Its architectural layout reflects the layout of Venice in its lack of central hallways and symmetry. The route to our rooms required taking a zigzag path through the building; to reach the first floor, one must first go to the second.

The windows open outward to let in voices and sounds, not only from the street below, but from other windows on the same level and above. Likewise, in walking along the quieter streets — those further away from the canal, we passed below conversations between those leaning out of windows and those gazing up from the street. Many windows boast the only green in sight, as grass appears to be contained to miniature courtyards and to parks at the edges of the city. The window boxes brighten the grey ''piazze,'' as do the Venetian children running across the open squares.