This is our post for Saturday, 27 Feb 2016, when we went to Milano for P day.

Altarpiece from Abbazia Mirasole, which is within walking distance of where we live.  It was built before 1,000 AD and was used by the Umiliati (sort of like Waldesians, a protestant group) for about 400 years before the pope did away with them and gave their land to another group.


The road to Mirasole, there used to be a moat around it and people entered under the tower.  It is out in fields where today people park their cars and go run or walk.  

The church at Mirasole, the abbey, where the monks lived, are in the buildings on either side of the old church.  People can now stay in the abbey, and we are going to have the senior missionaries, when they come to the mission office, go to this old church and we will sing hymns, because the church is so reverbrant, it sounds like you are singing in a tunnel or something.


 Another old church close enough we can walk from our home, actually closer than the abbey.  We wouldn't sing in this church, because it is not as reverbrant as the old abbey.




Altarpiece from the closer church, it was painted by a student of Leonardo da Vinci in the 1500s.  It is called the Madonna del aiuto (Madonna of hope), because the guy prayed to be able to have children, and she helped him so he had a painting painted in honor of this miracle.



Organ at the back of the above church.  Unfortunately, the organ has not worked for 30 years, they don't have the money to fix it.


Some old bells that came out of the bell tower, I guess it isn't strong enough any more to support them.  You can see that it is beginning to turn spring, at least the grass is green and we have seen some daffodills coming out.




I think this is cute how they grow the bushes in front of a statue of Mary, saying Ave, or Hail!  they take Hail Mary quite seriously in Italy.




We took the subway into Milano and went to a museum started by a rich man in the 1800s who bought a lot of cool old stuff.  Now is house, in the middle of town, is a museum. This is from his collection of helmets worn by the ancient Greeks, before the time of Christ.



 More of the large collection of ancient suits of armor, etc.

Back before they could print hymnbooks for everyone, they used music holders like this to put the one book on for Gregorian chant, and hung a lamp or candle on the end.

 Picture of Christ, notice the detail in the next pix.  This was painted in the 1500s.

Notice the tear.

Famous painting by Michangelo of Jesus and his mother and a lamb, there is another one like this with his aunt Elizabeth behind Mary.  The town in the background is an actual city, but I don't remember where it is.

An original of Martin Luther, left.  I  have seen this picture many times on LDS.org, etc.  This is the original, along another famous lady, whose name I can't remember.

I liked this sculpture of marble, the guy was black, made in black marble, but his clothes weren't black.

The fine detail in this marble inlay on a table top was unbelievable.

Small altarpiece made for someone's home altar, I shook the camera, unfortunately, but the next picture shows the back of this same painting.  I guess you weren't supposed to look at the back, it is sort of interesting.