A classic taste for rationality and harmony is the architect’s unmistakable signature, especially in the great Court of Honour, which houses a Monument to the Five Days of Milan.
The courtyard of Palazzo Bagatti Valsecchi
For these two amazing courtyards we must thank brothers Giuseppe and Fausto Bagatti Valsecchi, who renovated their family home – now the Bagatti Valsecchi museum - in Renaissance style back in the late nineteenth century.
The first one, accessible from via Gesù 5, has a black and white mosaic floor and a relaxed, old time atmosphere to be savored sitting at one of the tables of Il Salumaio di Montenapoleone. In via Santo Spirito 10, behind a large gate, hides the second courtyard, more intimate and evocative. The walls are frescoed with old views of Milan and there is a very well preserved early bicycle, yet another passion of the brothers, who also founded the Veloce Club Milano, ancestor of the Touring Club.
The Cloisters of Sant'Eustorgio
Part of the first Milanese Dominican convent, these ancient cloisters are truly beautiful and quiet. The first one, attached to the left side of the basilica, was built at the beginning of the 13th century, whereas the second one was probably built by Filippo Maria Visconti’s will in 1413.
Destroyed and rebuilt several times, and even used as barracks, today these two oases of silence house a major museum. The first one has a portico with columns dating back to the seventeenth century, whereas the second boasts elegant granite columns.
The Cloisters of San Barnaba
The vaults of these fifteenth century cloisters are now a sought-after event location. The complex is nothing short of spectacular: the construction of S. Maria della Pace began in 1466 on land donated by the Sforza family to a Portuguese nobleman who had abandoned his lavish life to become a Franciscan. Today, the four cloisters bear evocative names (Statues, Pisces, Memory, Wisteria) and they often welcome the local nightlife.
Author : The Slowear Journal