Leisure Time Friday, 20 th June 2014 Afternoon City Tour
Leisure Time th Friday, 20 June 2014 Afternoon City Tour 3.00 pm > Meeting with the Tour Guide in the hall of the Hotel Principe di Savoia (Piazza della Repubblica, Milano) > Trip by underground to Piazza Duomo/Cathedral Place > Visit of the Duomo Cathedral > Walk and visit of the: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Scala Theatre Sforzesco Castle
5.00 pm > > The walking tour ends at The Cenacolo Vinciano Entry and visit with a personal English guide (The participants will be divided into 2 groups, the first at 5.00 pm and the second at 5.15 pm) 5.45 pm > Back to the Hotel by underground
The Duomo Cathedral The Cathedral is the symbol and tangible representation of the Ambrosian (Milanese) Church and its old history. Dedicated to Santa the seat of the Archbishop of Milan. unity of the entire Maria Nascente it is The street plan of Milan, with streets either radiating from the Duomo or circling it, indicates that the Duomo occupied the most important site in the ancient roman city of Mediolanum. Saint Ambrose built a new basilica on this site at the beginning of the 5 th century, with an adjoining basilica added in 836. When the fire damaged both buildings in 1075, they were rebuilt as the Duomo.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele 11 Built by Giuseppe Mengoni between 1865 and 1877, the Gallery Vittorio Milan's elegant lounge with luxury boutiques and restaurants. The roof forms a cross that is well visible from the cathedral's roof. Emanuele II is of the gallery In the centre of the Gallery Vittorio Emanuele II the charming mosaic floor with the aspect of a carpet shows in the center the symbol of the Savoia Royal Family. The 4 symbols in every part on the floor represent the capitals of the Kingdom of Italy in various periods: Milan, Turin, Florence and Rome. The tradition tells that if a person put its right heel on the bull's genitals depicted of the bull from Turin Coat of Arms and turn on himself three times, this will bring good luck. This practice causes damage to the mosaic: a hole developed on the place of the bull's genitals. The top of the central octagon demonstrate the four continents Africa, Asia, Europe and America. The 24 statues in the Gallery represent Italian important personalities, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Galileo Galilei, Alessandro Volta. The Galleria is often nicknamed Il salotto di Milano (Milan's drawing room), due to its numerous shops and importance as a common Milanese meeting and dining place.
The Scala Theatre The Teatro alla Scala was founded, under the auspices of the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, to replace the Royal Ducal Theatre, which was destroyed by the fire on 26 th February 1776 and had until then been the home of opera in Milan. The cost of building the new theatre was borne by the owners of the boxes at the Ducal. In exchange the same owners got the land on which the church of Santa Maria alla Scala stood on side the ownership of the boxes at the new theatre. Designed by the great neoclassical architect Giuseppe Piermarini La Scala opened on 3 rd August 1778 with the Antonio Salieri s Opera L Europa riconosciuta, libretto by Mattia Verazi. With the advent of Rossini in 1812 the Scala was to become the appointed place of the Italian opera seria. Major restoration and modernization works of the Theatre began in January 2002. On 7 th December the restored Scala Theatre reopened with Antonio Salieri s L Europa Riconosciuta conducted by Riccardo Muti. The Scala Theatre Museum, newly designed by Pier Luigi Pizzi, also returned to Piermarini s original building.
The Sforzesco Castle Along with the Cathedral the big Castle is linked to the vicissitudes and dramatic events which the city has been experiencing over the past centuries. For many years, in fact, it has represented a symbol of the power in the hands of the Dukes as well as of the foreign dominators. Only at the beginning of the 20 th century the Castle assumed its distinctive role becoming a place of culture, which hosted numerous Lombard art collections. The Castle was named after Francesco Sforza, who transformed it into a ducal residence in 1450. But its origin dates back to the second half of the 14 th century, at the time of Galeazzo II Visconti. The last descendant of the Visconti family, Filippo Maria, died in 1447. He had no legitimate heirs, so the citizens at Milan proclaimed the Republic. The fortress was demolished and its stones were used to restore the town walls. Three years later, in 1450, General Francesco Sforza, a great leader who had married Bianca Maria Visconti, Filippo Maria s illegitimate child and sole heir, became Duke of Milan. The Castle was rebuilt upon the ancient foundations of the Visconti Castle. With the unification of Italy (1861) Milan and its Castle could recover the cultural and public function which has been characterizing the city until our days.
The " Cenacolo Vinciano " The last supper is a 15 th century mural painting created by Leonardo da Vinci for his patron Duke Ludovico Sforza and his duchess Beatrice D Este. It represents the scene of the last supper from the final days of Jesus, as it is told in the Gospel of John 13:21, when Jesus announces that one of his twelve apostles would betray him. The last supper measures 450x870 centimeters (15 feet x 29 feet) and covers an end wall of the dining hall at the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. The theme was a traditional one for refectories, although the room was not a refectory at the time Leonardo painted it. The main building of the church had only recently been completed (in 1498), but was remodeled by Bramante, who was hired by Ludovico Sforza to build a Sforza family mausoleum. The lunettes above the main painting, formed by the triple arched ceiling of the refectory, are painted with Sforza coatsofarms. The opposite wall of the refectory is covered by the Crucifixion fresco by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano, which Leonardo added figures of the Sforza family in temperato.
Leisure Time th Friday, 20 June 2014 Afternoon City Tour CITY TOUR PACKAGE That includes: > 48,80 per person (VAT 22% included) English/Italian speaking Tour Guide (1 Guide for max 25 pax for 3 hour) Walk and visit of the: Duomo Cathedral Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Scala Theatre Sforzesco Castle Entry ticket to the Cenacolo Vinciano Guided tour of the Cenacolo Vinciano with English speaking guide Quick stop at a bar in center for a coffee, an hot drink or a soft drink (table service NOT included) Underground return tickets
Contacts: Nonsolomeeting NSM Group Via G. Carducci, n 34 20123 Milano ITALY Tel. +39.02.860909 Fax. +39.02.89011827 www.nsmgroup.com Emilia Roscio Tel. +39.333.3971437 e.roscio@nsmgroup.com