What to do on a beautiful spring morning in Milan?
In light of the fact that we had a long day ahead of us with a soccer game that would stretch until midnight, what better compliment to il calcio than a bit of culture and fashion.
I had never seen The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. We had figured out a way to jump onto a sightseeing tour without doing the sightseeing (always handy to avoid mediocre guides) and thus gain entrance to the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. In an airtight salon, with strict procedures by group, I got to see something that had been on my to-do list for years. The room that The Last Supper is in is austere and simple. At the far end of the chapel is a crucifixion scene by Giovanni Donato. It faces Leonardo’s Last Supper where Jesus announces his betrayer. Someone always lets the team down! This is one of his greatest works, badly deteriorated and suffering the ravages of time and vandalism, but it still provides an experience unique and spiritual.
What better way to compliment a 15th century mural by one of the world’s greatest ever painters than a visit to the ultra-chic Giorgio Armani’s Armani/Silos that was opened in 2015?
Housed in what was a granary, Armani captures his passion for fashion in a place whose central force was all about the beginnings of food. There are more than 600 outfits and around 200 handbags and accessories from 1980 to the present. There is a fabulous little café outside with great sandwiches and incredible olive oil for dipping. The whole experience capped with an espresso and an Armani sugar cube. Made me want to rush out, grab an Armani jacket somewhere, and wear it for a day.
If only to know that Armani’s designs are as timeless as the painting that preceded it in the morning.
Artists are artists. Lucky to get a glimpse into a Renaissance mind in the year 2016.
