Duomo Di Milano
Duomo di Milano In many occasions people tend to miss out on the exquisite works of art that adorn our cities. Sure, people tend to glance and be amazed sometimes at the most famous works of art, and architecture, but they do not understand why the creator of such work decided to paint the portrait that way, or sculpture an image a specific way, or construct a building with certain attention to details. In the following pages, I will discuss my experience visiting the Duomo di Milano, in Italy. I will discuss how the cathedral connects with its historical context. Furthermore, I will discuss the ideas and values the cathedral evokes. Finally I will discuss how the cathedral is similar or different to other cathedrals built around the same time period. Duomo Overview The Duomo di Milano cathedral has been dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente. The current Archbishop of the cathedral is Cardinal Angelo Scola. “The Duomo di Milano or the Milan Cathedral is the fourth largest cathedral in the world and the largest in Italy. It took more than six centuries to complete construction of the building, largely because new additions were constantly being added to the site” (ReReDos, 2012, para. 2). When the construction began, the original plans were to construct the cathedral in Lombard Gothic style with bricks. They hired a chief engineer who decided to add the Rayonnant Gothic style used mainly in France. This construction consisted of brick paneled with marble. Due to the many years of construction and the many architects involved, the Duomi di Milano is considered a masterpiece. A masterpiece is defined as “a work done with extraordinary skill; especially: a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2012 para.1).
Construction
The construction of the Duomo di Milano began during the Renaissance period. The renaissance is also known as a time of re-birth. “The Renaissance marks the passing of European society from an exclusively
References: Cathedralquest.com (2012). Gothic Architecture. Retrieved on October 11, 2012, from
http://www.cathedralquest.com/gothic_architecture.htm
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2012). Masterpiece. Retrieved on October 11, 2012, from
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masterpiece
NVCC.edu (2012). Renaissance Period. Retrieved on October 11, 2012, from,
http://www.nvcc.edu/home/jwulff/mus103/renaissance_period.htm
ReReDos (2012). Duomo di Milano (Milan, Italy). Retrieved on October 11, 2012, from
http://www.reredos.org/duomo-di-milano-milan-italy.php