Juliana's Roman Roaming: Class trip to Milan (Italian Design)

So, Milan was wonderful. It was my class trip for my Art History Class- Special Topics: Understanding Italian Design.

It was such a breath of fresh air, figuratively and literally!When we got off the train at 10:30am Friday morning we felt quite a burst of cool air! Fall has finally come to Italy! It is so bizarre to go from skirts one day to leggings the next, but Milan was the perfect place to make the transition. We all IMMEDATLY noticed how CALM this city is! No lie, the train station was practically silent. The one place you can always count on being a madhouse was actually quiet. We were freaked out a bit, I must say.

Before even hitting the hotel, we went right to the Studio Achille Castilioni, and architect and designer most famous for his work with chairs. Working from the 1960s until his death in 2002, Castilioni is a household name in Italy, as his innovative work is both functional and innovative. We had a presentation of over 20 of his works, many still in production today, the most recognizable worldwide being the light switch attached to nearly every side table lamp.

Afterward we checked into our hotel, probably the fanciest place I will be staying in Italy (so we were really excited), and once again, Allison was my roommate! (alphabetical order) By the end of this it will be weird to be without her!

Our second stop of the day was the studio of Michele de Lucchi, an extremely famous architect whose work is seen all over the world. While we did not meet the man of the hour himself, we did get a tour of his beautiful studio which smelled of fresh cut wood, as all his models are made of wood, instead of the new and more popular resin process. His studio felt so comfortable, and the smooth wood flooring and structures combined with the open floor plan was unlike a normal office atmosphere in the United States. Michele de Lucchi has groups of architects broken into various projects, but he also strives to create good relationships between himself and between his employees, which makes him that much more successful in the long run.

Our last stop of the day was actually the first of many to come- a gallery/showroom. In short, a very expensive Ikea.

At this point our teacher released the class, and many went back to the hotel to change or prepare for dinner. Clarisse, Allison, Luca, Andrew, and I stayed with our teacher (Prof. Katherine Krizek) and enjoyed an apperitiv dinner outside with her. It was really cool, and just goes to show how relaxed and easygoing our professors are in this program. Studying abroad truly is the best form of education possible.

Afterward we had apple and cinnamon gelato. It made me feel like home for just a bit.

Saturday started off on a great foot with our complimentary breakfast which just happened to be amazing AND right across the hall from our room! Italian style breakfasts are usually just a croissant and a coffee, so when I left from this breakfast FULL I realized I had forgotten how that feels in the morning (sorry Eric, no eggs and pancakes and waffles). So we literally spent the entire day seeing showroom after showroom, preparing for our midterm (a paper on two objects seen in Milan, and their histories), and sitting in some of the most interesting chairs and couches I could have ever imagined. We also saw some interesting lighting designs, and my favorite piece was the “Googla”, named after American googles, whose colors changed depending on which angle you moved. Everything of course was super pricey, but the wide range of design innovations showed that Milan is not just a center for fashion design, but also household design, and prestige is measured moreso in the home than anywhere else.

Our trip to Milan would not be complete, however, without a visit down Via Monte Napoleone, where Porshes and Ferrarris lined the streets (Eric I wish you could have been here for this!) next to Gucci and Prada and all the rest. As superficial as it all sounds, we actually did get some VIP treatment in Salvatore Ferraganno, where we viewed their entire 2011 collection of shoes (fun for the guys), and really focused on the hand - made quality of the work, studying its design and workmanship. Not something we would have gotten to do on our own! At least not without a pretty fancy credit card.

We ended the class tour at Venini, and kept our hands to ourselves surrounded by thousands of euro worth of hand blown glasswork. Again, a sales representative pulled extra work out for us and we learned about the various techniques of glass blowing, and how each piece on display was made. We also learned the history of Venini himself, another architect who revolutionized more than just architecture. He was the first move away from traditional forms by bringing other architects and designers into Murano (of course the center of Italy’s glass business), where he experimented with new materials and colors. This was also a big step because up until this point the art of glassblowing was a family business, handed down through the generations only. This new process of collaboration between designer and artisan allowed the business to grow, bringing showrooms to Venice, then Milan.

Once again, we stuck around after class ended, and Allison, Andrew, Lucca, and I visited the Duomo. Words literally cannot express how amazing this experience was so I will begin with the facts, then move to what I wrote in my journal while sitting in the pews: The Duomo’s huge Gothic façade is crammed with 135 marble spires and more than 3,000 statues throughout, the details of which give the appearance of a lacy wedding cake. The third largest church in the world, Milan’s Duomo seats 40,000 people. Its interior is divided into five aisles by 52 columns, and the entire structure took more than a staggering 500 years to complete. It must be continuously worked on in order to maintain its current condition, costing over 12 million euro a year. In Milan, any project that seems to take an inordinate amount of time to complete is referred to by Milanese as “la fabricca del duomo” or “the making of the Duomo.” My reflections while inside the Duomo: I once read in a photography magazine , “the lens is visually impaired. It cannot begin to replicate the marvel that is the eye.” I chose not to photograph the Duomo not just because a little sign with an x through the camera welcomed me (considering literally no one pays attention to these instructions as they carry their cameras in), but because I truly feel that no camera could capture the power or replicate the experience I am so privileged to have. It is beyond humbling to stand in the presence of 500 years of planning, work, material, craft, lives, generations, detail, and artwork beyond comprehension. Simply put, this has been the most emotional experience I have had within a church thus far.

Sunday was an amazing and quite perfect day, wrapping up our weekend better than I could have planned. After checking out of the hotel we went to La Triennale di Milano, THE museum of design in Milan. It felt like a scavenger hunt, as photos of all the designers we learned about were there, next to their most famous works, many of which we had studied or seen over the weekend. It felt like the Please Touch Museum for design and we jumped around each work, laying in beds sitting in crazy chairs, and even diving into what looked like a giant foam bed of grass. Ironically, perfectly pairing our own actions, there was also a group that entered right behind us, of about 15 kids, aged 3 to 5 I would say, jumping into the mountains of foam as well! They were really adorable, and I had just spent the day before thinking about how much I miss Grace, Samantha, Amber, and Josh, wishing to build forts and sing silly songs, so this group of kids put a huge smile on my face. It was hysterical to watch them play with and learn about objects we had just gone over in class! Overall, we had a great time at the Triennale, and it really brought the weekend together in a very cohesive manner.

As if this was not enough, we stumbled upon an amazing outdoor market on our way into the park nearby for lunch. There were dozens of local Milanese, selling their home grown fruit, cheese, wine, and more. I tasted and bought some of the best quality food and wine to date, such as the most delicious goat cheese for 2 euro (what?!), a wheel of formaggio dolce for 5 euro (it will last me at least a week!), 2 bottles of AWARD WINNING wine for 4 euro each, AND HOMEMADE APPLE JUICE AND APPLE SAUCE! It almost made me feel like I was back home, apple picking with my family, just like we do every fall around this time. It made me so happy. The locals always offer a bit to taste first, and in my case, I bought it! ALSO I bought the highest quality extra extra virgin olive oil from the sweetest couple ever! Am I over-doing it? Let’s just say I left that market with a smile on my face and many many extra bags to carry home.

And so, if you haven’t already noticed, I loved my trip to Milan. Thank you Dad, for allowing me to switch into this class and take this trip.

I love Italy.

PS- I just booked a flight to Poland with Leann!!! We will be there the weekend before Thanksgiving (I may go to Berlin for Thanksgiving break? Not booked yet) from Friday November 18 to Monday the 21^st morning. I’m super excited to visit Leann’s homeland and eat lots of pierogies!