“Milan — A City Through the Passage of Time” Jamala Nakhchivani

 

When I first saw Milan, I couldn’t hide my amazement. This city felt like a living mosaic where the classical past and the modern future blend seamlessly. Located in northern Italy, this fashion and industrial capital actually traces its roots back to the Roman Empire. For me, Milan was not just a showcase of luxurious displays and global brands — it was a city of millennia-old history hidden within stones, columns, and silent squares.

I began my journey from the heart of the city — the Duomo di Milano. As I approached the cathedral, it felt as if time itself was walking alongside me. This magnificent structure, one of the brightest examples of Gothic architecture, began construction in 1386 and took five centuries to complete. It’s impossible not to be awestruck by the delicate carvings, statues, and spires adorning its façade.

When I climbed to the rooftop, a clear view of Milan’s orderly urban layout and a panorama stretching to the distant Alps opened before my eyes. Standing there, gazing at the city’s silent skyline, I felt as though I was building a bridge between the past and the present.

 

 

Then I directed my steps toward the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. This place is not just a shopping destination — it is a celebration of architecture, a living testament to how iron and glass can be transformed into a true work of art. Built in the mid-19th century, the gallery breathes art at every step.

I didn’t just admire the shop windows — I turned my feet and placed my right heel on the figure of a bull depicted in the marble mosaic and spun around. According to legend, performing this ritual means you are destined to return to Milan one day.

 

 

One of Milan’s eternal symbols is the Sforzesco Castle. Built in the 15th century during the rule of the Visconti family, this fortress made me feel how history speaks through silence. Inside the museums housed within, encountering Michelangelo’s unfinished masterpiece, the “Rondanini Pietà,” showed me how art transcends time and death.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Milan looks not only to the past but also to the future. Bosco Verticale — known as the “Vertical Forest” — is a modern ecological building that, for me, exemplifies how architecture can become a living, breathing system. The sight of trees, vines, and greenery thriving within concrete and glass made me reflect — cities are changing, but they are adapting in harmony with nature.

 

 

Of course, it is impossible not to mention Leonardo da Vinci’s connection to Milan. The moment I saw the fresco “The Last Supper” in the Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery, all the praises, photos, and books felt meaningless — standing face to face with living art and feeling its breath is an entirely different experience. Seeing how this masterpiece has endured the flow of time convinced me of the extraordinary wonders that human hands can create.

 

 

The streets, cafés, and operas of Milan — especially La Scala — each speak their own language. The legendary La Scala theater, the most magnificent temple of world opera art. This centuries-old building is not just a theater; it is a living history where the spirit of notes, stage lights, and great artists resides. The first time I entered the theater, I felt not just like a spectator, but a participant in an artistic event. The delicate golden decorations, velvet seats, and the hall’s incredible acoustics — all of these transported me to another era, to the years when romanticism and classicism flourished.

 

 

This place carried drama and music not only on the stage but throughout the entire hall. It felt as if time stood still here, and art carried you within its endless flow. La Scala is not just a theater; it is the cultural soul of Italy. Every breath, every silence here speaks of music. I didn’t just watch opera there—I fell under the spell of art itself. Seeing La Scala was not just a visit for me; it was a spiritual experience. Every music lover should experience this miracle at least once in their lifetime.

 

 

In the evenings, walking along the Navigli canals, beneath the yellow lights reflected on the water, I felt as if I were inside an Italian novel. Everything there was both very familiar and mysterious. Milan was not just a city for me. It was a sanctuary where the past and the future, art and life, people and place converged. On the day I left, I realized that seeing Milan once is not enough — to truly feel and understand it, one must return. And I will come back…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author: Jamala Nakhchivani, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Fortuna Magazine