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Showing posts with label Quarter-San Siro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quarter-San Siro. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
"Uhhh...thanks...you shouldn't have...really.... Pssst, what are we going to do with it?"That probably captures the real comments of Milan's city council members when presented with...More......
... this super gigantic bronze sculpture (the base comes up to about my chest, and I'm fairly tall) purporting to reproduce the horse that Leonardo da Vinci would have produced for the commemorative equestrian sculpture depicting Francesco Sforza, which originally was intended for the area between the city and the Sforza Castle.
In my previous message with info on the horse (see http://mymilanitaly.blogspot.com/2011/06/photoless-friday-15-aida-and-notre-dame.html), I sanctimoniously stated that the Americans didn't understand that it wasn't really Leonardo's horse.
I stand corrected.
Apparently, the Italians in charge of San Siro don't understand either: there are big banners touting "Leonardo's horse" all over the front of the gallop stadium (as opposed to the trotting stadium) in front of which the statue has been perched.Spurious, or hypothetical, it's still interesting to see, and a trip out to the horse races might be fun, anyway, since the 1920s structures by Paolo Vietti-Violi are delightful. (Took a peek at the posted rates for getting in to follow the races: men E. 5, women E. 1 ... now why is that? So few women go to the races that they want to encourage them to come? For more info on the racing, go to: http://www.ippodromimilano.it/ ... an English version is available by clicking on the link in the upper middle right.)
So...how to get there?
Get yourself to Piazzale Lotto. Various busses go, but since the numbers may change it's not helpful to cite them. There is a Lotto stop on the red number 1 metro (subway) line, too. The subway exits all seem to be on the opposite side of the piazza from the direction that you need to go. Get above ground, and look for trees. There's a snippet of park next to the entrance of the Lido di Milano, a 1930s historic sport center with a city-owned pool, tennis courts, etc. You'll need to walk along the park next to the Lido on Via Caprilli. (For Lido entrance info in Italian: http://www.milanosport.it/intranet/MILANOSPOR/Impianti/LIDO1/index.htm)
Across the street from where the little park stops Via Ciprilli continues along a grafitti-covered stuccoed brick wall enclosing the race track grounds. Keep following the graffiti-covered wall for about 10 minutes to this adorable little entrance.
It was open today, Sunday, even when there were no races to give access to the little pizzeria tucked into the right hand end of the secondary stands (the one with the horse sculpture in front). If you're able to go when there are races it will be easier to get closer to the horse.
Enjoy!
(I took these photos around 2:30-3 P.M. today for your personal non-commercial enjoyment.)
Friday, June 17, 2011
Photoless Friday (17): Vasca tonight, men's fashion week for four days and 'pull out your wallet' (it's a good cause, though!)
Fan of the Italian singer Vasca? You're twice in luck. He's singing at San Siro, tonight, AND ATM has improved the public transportation for the event. Trams, the metro and parking lots will be in service a bit longer than usual. Back home from the concert, hole up in your house, or office, for four days: Men's Fashion Week begins, tomorrow (I shouldn't complain...it's always a bit less hectic than the one for women's clothes, and it's a good showcase for Italian products, and, hence, the economy. Speaking of money...More......
...if you're a visiting the Duomo as a tourist, and not as a worshipper (don't try to be sneaky!), you'll be asked to put your hand into your wallet to help pay the upkeep and maintenance expenses...as soon as they can figure out how to separate the "sheep" from the "goats."
"But it's a church!," I can hear you complain.
I remember the first time I bumped into this situation, and I was outraged, too.
But then I got to thinking about it.
First of all, I *am* visiting it, as if it were a museum.
Second, I always drop a Euro, or two, into the box--when available!!!--for the upkeep of the church, but evidently not everyone does, and even churches have to pay electric bills and the wages for the guardians and sweepers.
And the Duomo of Milan costs FIFTEEN MILLION EUROS A YEAR JUST FOR DAY-TO-DAY MAINTENANCE AND ITS 130 EMPLOYEES.
So, don't begrudge the few Euros that you will be asked to pay.
You'll help to repair the gorgeous marble floors, for one thing, worn continuously by all those shuffling touristy feet.
...if you're a visiting the Duomo as a tourist, and not as a worshipper (don't try to be sneaky!), you'll be asked to put your hand into your wallet to help pay the upkeep and maintenance expenses...as soon as they can figure out how to separate the "sheep" from the "goats."
"But it's a church!," I can hear you complain.
I remember the first time I bumped into this situation, and I was outraged, too.
But then I got to thinking about it.
First of all, I *am* visiting it, as if it were a museum.
Second, I always drop a Euro, or two, into the box--when available!!!--for the upkeep of the church, but evidently not everyone does, and even churches have to pay electric bills and the wages for the guardians and sweepers.
And the Duomo of Milan costs FIFTEEN MILLION EUROS A YEAR JUST FOR DAY-TO-DAY MAINTENANCE AND ITS 130 EMPLOYEES.
So, don't begrudge the few Euros that you will be asked to pay.
You'll help to repair the gorgeous marble floors, for one thing, worn continuously by all those shuffling touristy feet.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Photoless Friday (15): Aida and Notre Dame at San Siro's Meazza Stadium next to the Race Track with a hypothetical version of a Leonardo da Vinci
"Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi, coming to San Siro's Statium next Saturday (June 11). Should be a knock out. If these spectacular shows catch your attention, on the 29th at the same stadium will be "Notre Dame de Paris". As long as you're in the general area,...More...
...slip past the race track; in front of it is one modern version (by the sculptor Nina Akamu for Philip Dent's project) of what Leonardo da Vinci was thinking about while planning the over-life sized equestrian monument for Francesco Sforza, the condottiere who married the only direct heir to the Visconti dukedom, Bianca, the legitimized bastard daughter of Filippo Maria, and who, together with Bianca ruled Milan, and produced the sons to follow in his footsteps (one finally obtaining the official title of duke, but that's another story).
Leonardo even got so far as to produce a full-scale clay version of the sculpture, and it was placed on the castle grounds, where the bronze version--never executed, due to the onset of war--was to have been set. The clay version--its appearance unrecorded--was used by the invading French soldiers for target practice, and so was destroyed.
In any event, since even it wasn't the final bronze version, an image of the clay version, had one survived, would only be indicative, not definitive.
What I'm trying to say, and what the American side of the information never makes clear enough, in my opinion, is that this is *NOT* "Leonardo's horse." It's only one preliminary possibiity of what Leonardo was exploring for the monument that never was. This enthusiastic embracing of a false attempt at recreating something that never came into being is denigrated here, uninteresting to those, like the Italians, who've got lots of the real stuff piled up in courtyards, museums and and their storage areas.
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth...literally, this time...but it would be too confusing to undiscerning visitors to put this "fake" on the Sforza Castle grounds, as if it were Leonardo's actual horse. And besides, it fits so nice into the space in front of the race track, an apt association: http://www.ninaakamu.com/story.html, that it would be a pity to move it. Apparently offended that their unwanted gift has been embarrassedly accepted, and--like Auntie's doily stitched lovingly by hand out of used kitchen twine--placed discreetly where it can't be a ready eyesore, noises were made, and so promises to think about moving it to the castle seem to have been made (I've not verified, and I don't want to).
To quote one of my favorite TV show characters of a number of years ago, "It ain't gonna happen, my friend."
It's still impressive though. Executed in bronze at 24 feet high, and dedicated--to the great embarrassment of locals, both politicians and the general public--in 1999, it's still at the conveniently thematic, but decentralized location, in front of the horse race track at San Siro, next to the Meazza stadium.
It's worth the trip out. After all, it's not all that far from downtown, and is just a tram ride away from the center to this surrounding "bedroom community."
(Took me so long to write this, that it's now a few minutes after mindnight, so technically, it's already Saturday morning, but you'll forgive me, right?)
...slip past the race track; in front of it is one modern version (by the sculptor Nina Akamu for Philip Dent's project) of what Leonardo da Vinci was thinking about while planning the over-life sized equestrian monument for Francesco Sforza, the condottiere who married the only direct heir to the Visconti dukedom, Bianca, the legitimized bastard daughter of Filippo Maria, and who, together with Bianca ruled Milan, and produced the sons to follow in his footsteps (one finally obtaining the official title of duke, but that's another story).
Leonardo even got so far as to produce a full-scale clay version of the sculpture, and it was placed on the castle grounds, where the bronze version--never executed, due to the onset of war--was to have been set. The clay version--its appearance unrecorded--was used by the invading French soldiers for target practice, and so was destroyed.
In any event, since even it wasn't the final bronze version, an image of the clay version, had one survived, would only be indicative, not definitive.
What I'm trying to say, and what the American side of the information never makes clear enough, in my opinion, is that this is *NOT* "Leonardo's horse." It's only one preliminary possibiity of what Leonardo was exploring for the monument that never was. This enthusiastic embracing of a false attempt at recreating something that never came into being is denigrated here, uninteresting to those, like the Italians, who've got lots of the real stuff piled up in courtyards, museums and and their storage areas.
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth...literally, this time...but it would be too confusing to undiscerning visitors to put this "fake" on the Sforza Castle grounds, as if it were Leonardo's actual horse. And besides, it fits so nice into the space in front of the race track, an apt association: http://www.ninaakamu.com/story.html, that it would be a pity to move it. Apparently offended that their unwanted gift has been embarrassedly accepted, and--like Auntie's doily stitched lovingly by hand out of used kitchen twine--placed discreetly where it can't be a ready eyesore, noises were made, and so promises to think about moving it to the castle seem to have been made (I've not verified, and I don't want to).
To quote one of my favorite TV show characters of a number of years ago, "It ain't gonna happen, my friend."
It's still impressive though. Executed in bronze at 24 feet high, and dedicated--to the great embarrassment of locals, both politicians and the general public--in 1999, it's still at the conveniently thematic, but decentralized location, in front of the horse race track at San Siro, next to the Meazza stadium.
It's worth the trip out. After all, it's not all that far from downtown, and is just a tram ride away from the center to this surrounding "bedroom community."
(Took me so long to write this, that it's now a few minutes after mindnight, so technically, it's already Saturday morning, but you'll forgive me, right?)
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