My Word with Douglas E. Welch

Does your city need more art? How Would you do it?

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Sculpture, NATO Headquarters, Milano, Italy

This sculpture is interesting as it uses an old-world style to depict modern events. Its companion on the other side of the door shows Swords, cannons, and banners while this one depicts grenades, ammo belts, and machine guns.

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Napoleon as a Greek god, Pinacoteca di Brera, Milano, Italia

Kind of a grand sculpture, don’t you think? But then Napoleon was known for an extremely large ego, so perhaps this explains it. 
Quite a dramatic centerpiece to the museum which also hosts the Accademia di Belle Arti (School of Fine Arts)

We passed through on our way to the Reunification museum and the Botanic Gardens seen in earlier pictures. 

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Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine, Milano, Italia

Rosanne and I had stumbled upon this 1446 church a few days earlier on our wandering, but I returned on my way to a second visit to the Orto Botanico (Botanical Garden) in Brera.

This morning, though, I took the opportunity to stop, order a caffé (espresso) and a chocolate croissant, and just sit people watching and taking in the architecture of the church and the art in the piazza.

I was on my own on this visit, but it is one of my favorite memories of the trip. Even alone I found Milano to be friendly, welcoming and very livable. I felt more comfortable there than perhaps any other European city I have visited besides, perhaps, Bath and Leeds in the UK. London is fun but can be a bit too much after a few days.

When out on my own — and not looking a bit Italian in any way — I found it fun to joke with the wait staff at restaurants and museums. They would always start out in English and then expressed surprise and pleasure when I spoke Italian — even my first-grade version of it. Just another way I came to feel comfortable. Joking with everyone and generally having a great time.

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Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine, Milano, Italia

While the exterior of this 1446 church is fairly plain, the interior is amazing. The light and shadows effect on the architecture are so dramatic is almost, literally, takes your breath away. We stepped in from the bright sun on a hot afternoon and it was like entering an entirely different world. The temperature dropped 10 degrees and it took several minutes for our eyes to adjust. We had entered from a side door, so we didn’t get the full effect until we moved up the enter aisle and took in this view. 

This is one of those photos that you easily remember taking. Unlike some, I believe that photography doesn’t take me out of the moment when I am Travelling, but rather makes my memories more vibrant and concrete when I return home. 

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How does it feel to be surrounded by history every day? Share in the comments!

Piazza Mercanti, Milano, Italia

From our September 2018 trip to see family and attend the SRN Conference.

Even with some buildings covered in scaffold and sheeting, this Piazza carries the weight and grandeur of its medieval origins.

After visiting Milano for a week, I wonder what it would feel like to be constantly reminded of history as you go about your normal life? Would you begin to ignore it or come to see it as something commonplace like so many of us do in our home cities. I would hope not, but I can guess they treat historic sculptures and buildings much like I treat the Hollywood Sign, film studios and Rodeo Drive. These are simply places that were always “there” and don’t cause or require any great contemplation.

We’ll be visiting another historic town in April — Oxford, England — and I’ll think more about this as I wander streets, churches and colleges that have hundreds of years of history. How do I see them differently than the locals? Or in similar ways? We shall see. 

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Hmm. A hidden message?

Piazza Affari, Milano, Italia

More information this sculpture

From our September 2018 trip to see family and attend the SRN Conference.

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1930s Era Bas Relief, Piazza Affari, Milano, Italia

From our September 2018 trip to see family and attend the SRN Conference.

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Poseidon/Neptune Sculpture

Huntington Library, Art collections, and Botanic Gardens, San Marino, California

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One Angry Apostle

Monza, Italia

Strolling the streets of Monza is a treat for the eyes and the soul!

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What are your favorite historic sites? Share them in the comments!

Statue of Umberto I, Monza, Italia

I love visiting historic places of all types be they natural or manmade.

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* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
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