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Milano | The 6 Statues You Must See In Milan

Posted on June 30, 2018October 9, 2018 by Allora Studios in International, Italy, Milano

When you’re in big cities, you can throw a rock in any direction and find a church or a statue. So this week, I just want to show you the 6 statues that I found most interesting in Milano.

1. Leonardo da Vinci

Located in Piazza della Scala, a statue of Italian Renaissance polymath Leonardo stands, looking down to four of his students. This statue was inaugurated in the presence of King Vittorio Emmanuele II in 1872.

2. Guilio Ricordi

Statue of respected musician and recording publisher Giulio Ricordi, next to Teatro alla Scala. This statue caught my eye with the whimsical way that Ricordi is sitting. This is a newer addition to the Milan collection of statues. It was created in 2016!

3. Equestrian King Vittorio Emmanuele II

Statue of Vittorio Emmanuele II located in front of the Duomo di Milano, a the other end of the Piazza del Duomo. This equestrian statue of the King of Italy was commissioned in 1878. The sculptor, Ercole Rosa completed the statue and it was placed on the foundation in 1896.

4. St. Bartholomew Flayed

Statue St. Bartholomew Flayed, located inside the Duomo di Milano. This biblical character, gruesomely displayed after being martyred. A sculptor named Marco d’Agrate completed this piece in 1562.

5. La Madonnina

This is a replica of the golden statue that rests at the top of the largest spire on the cathedral. The name of this statue is Madonnina. It is a depiction of the Virgin Mary, as is easily found anywhere in Italy. She is a little too hard to get a good picture of, even from the roof, because of her height, but that doesn’t mean you can’t admire her up close. Luckily there is this exact replica that sits behind the altar inside the duomo.

6. L.O.V.E.

This one is a personal favorite of mine. This is a modern piece that stands in front of the Italian Stock Exchange building. It took us a minute to find, as it is not one of the usual tourist sites and therefore not marked like the others, but it was worth it. The statue is called L.O.V.E. and stands as a statement from the artist to the Italian bankers.

Milano | The History of One of Italy’s Prettiest Cathedrals

Posted on June 23, 2018October 9, 2018 by Allora Studios in International, Italy, Milano, Travel Blog

It’s no secret that Italy is my favorite international destination. Milano is definitely in the Top 5 list of cities in Italy for me, and this is one of the reasons why.

This is Il Duomo di Milano, or The Milan Cathedral. Construction began in 1386 by Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo. It was supposed to commemorate the ascension of the Duke of Milan, and the Archbishop’s cousin, Gian Galeazzo Visconti.

There’s a surprise on the left side of the balcony above the door in the picture above. If the statue looks familiar to you, it’s because the statue is the piece that inspired the Statue of Liberty in New York City.

The first King of Italy, the French Napoleon Bonaparte, ordered the completion of the facade in 1805. It took another 7 years, but the cathedral is said to have actually been fully completed in 1965 when the last of the gates was inaugurated.

The statue in the Piazza del Duomo, or the cathedral square, is of the first king of a unified Italy Vittorio Emmanuele II. Napoleon was technically a king of Italy, but it had not yet been unified as its own domain. The title that Napoleon officially held was King of Naples.

The statue was created by Ercole Rosa and was completed in 1879 as a monument to the Father of the Fatherland.

As you can see, the duomo is covered in statues, spires, and other works of art. It has 3,400 statues, 135 gargoyles, and 700 figures that decorate the ornate cathedral.

A can’t miss opportunity for this site is to climb to the roof and take a look. Even on a rainy day like when I visited, the view is awesome!

There is a golden statue that rests at the top of the largest spire on the cathedral. The name of this statue is Madonnina. It is a depiction of the Virgin Mary, as is easily found anywhere in Italy. She is a little too hard to get a good picture of, even from the roof, because of her height, but that doesn’t mean you can’t admire her up close. There is an exact replica that sits behind the altar inside the duomo.

I highly recommend stopping to see this inspiring work of art.

If you like to study the Bible or adhere to Christian beliefs, you might recognize this last duomo gem that I will talk about.

This guy is pretty famous by himself, but the reason is because of the character he depicts. This is a statue of the martyr Bartholomew, who was flayed alive.

St. Bartholomew Flayed (1562) is a gruesome piece. It was famously written about by Mark Twain in Innocents Abroad, Chapter 18.

“‘It was a hideous thing, and yet there was a fascination about it somehow. I am very sorry I saw it, because I shall always see it now. I shall dream of it sometimes. I shall dream that it is resting its corded arms on the bed’s head and looking down on me with its dead eyes; I shall dream that it is stretched between the sheets with me and touching me with its exposed muscles and its stringy cold legs. It is hard to forget repulsive things’

Bartholomew is a pretty famous character, and is even depicted in my favorite painting, The Last Judgement (Michelangelo) which is the lesser famous painting that calls the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City its home.

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Washington D.C. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Posted on June 16, 2018October 9, 2018 by Allora Studios in The U.S., Washington, D.C.

Seeing the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. was one of the highlights of our time in the nation’s capital. The opening of the memorial is a gateway of sorts. It is two large rocks with a walkway through the middle. When you walk through them, the two rocks pillar off to the side, as shown in the picture below. There are walls on either side that have famous quotes of King’s engraved on them. In the center, a huge bolder stands with the impression of the great Martin Luther King Jr. standing with his arms folded over his torso.

It is definitely a sight to see, but there is a hidden MLK gem that you might miss, if you don’t know what you’re looking for…

This inscription is on the top steps of the Lincoln Memorial, looking out to the reflection pool. The outline of the lectern that King stood behind to give the “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963 is present along with the following:

“I HAVE A DREAM

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON

FOR JOBS AND FREEDOM

AUGUST 28, 1963″

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Washington D.C. | The 4 Most Notable War Monuments

Posted on June 9, 2018October 9, 2018 by Allora Studios in The U.S., Washington, D.C.

In this post, I wanted to highlight some of the architecture of the war monuments that are along the National Mall. I don’t believe these are all of them, for we did not make it to Arlington Cemetery at all, and I know there are more from the wars since the Korean War and before the First World War.

D.C.’s Monument to World War I

Dedicated to the men and women of Washington, D.C. who fought and died in the first world war. World War I lasted from July 28th, 1914 to November 11th, 1918. An estimated 9 million soldiers and 7 million civilians were killed, including those who were victims of genocide.

World War II Memorial

Dedicated to the men and women from every part of the globe that fought and died with the Allies in the Second World War. This war was fought from 1939 to 1945. The deadliest combat in history, it’s estimated that 50 to 85 million casualties occurred either during combat or as a result of genocide.

Vietnam Memorial

Dedicated to the men and women who fought and died in the Vietnam War. The conflict lasted from November 1st, 1955 to April 30th, 1975. The casualties of the war are estimated to be between 1.3 million and 4.5 million people.

Korean War Memorial

Dedicated to the men and women who fought and died in the Korean War. The Korean War was a conflict between North and South Korea. The US fought on the South Korean side of the war. It lasted from June 25th, 1950 to July 27th, 1953, and an estimated that 2.5 million civilians were wounded or killed in the conflict and another 180,000 or more are still missing.

Washington D.C. | The 6 Most Famous Monuments in D.C.

Posted on June 2, 2018October 9, 2018 by Allora Studios in The U.S., Washington, D.C.

So, this week, I decided to highlight the pictures I got of the most famous monuments in Washington, D.C.. So in order, I will talk about The White House, The Capitol Building, The Supreme Court building, The Lincoln Memorial, The Washington Monument, and the Jefferson Memorial.

The White House

When I saw the white house for the first time, I saw the back. I looked at it and remembered the scenes of shows like House of Cards and Scandal that were set on that balcony. I never really thought about the fact that this wasn’t the front of the white house. I don’t really claim to be anything like an expert of D.C., but this idea of the back being what I recognize more was recurring in D.C.

The Capitol Building

The Capitol building was another of the iconic buildings that I didn’t recognize as much from the first side I viewed. I believe a big reason for this is because the inauguration usually takes place on the Eastern steps, and I saw the opposite side of the building.

The Supreme Court Building

The Supreme Court Building is the home to the highest form of the judicial branch: the supreme court justices. It was really cool to see the outside of this building. So many important decisions are made here. I did not get the opportunity to go inside, however.

The Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is one of the biggest tourist attractions in D.C. Abraham Lincoln is still adored by this country for being the President that lead war to free the African Americans from the South.

The building is very large. It is made of one large center room and two smaller side rooms. The side rooms have engravings of the Gettysburg Address and the dedication ceremony for the Soldier’s National Cemetery. There is also a bookshop off the northern room. It is very small and has a lot of memorabilia.

The Washington Monument

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what it is like to be at the top of this beauty. It was closed for renovations until the next spring. It was taller than I thought it would be. It was also a lot closer to The White House than I expected. It almost reminded me of the towers that were built by the Italians in the providences when they were still separate governing entities.

The Jefferson Memorial

My girlfriend and I like to walk around and see everything we possibly can, so we circled this monument. It was such an amazing structure. When you enter the center of the dome, the air is cool and refreshing. It’s almost as if there is a light breeze that creates a calming, serene atmosphere.

So, there are some of the monuments I saw in Washington, D.C., but this is by no means the only ones I saw. D.C. is full of American history and monuments that tell the stories of the United States. I highly recommend that you travel to the nation’s capital, and every nation’s capitals.