ADVENTURES AT THE MILAN EXPO AND SO MUCH MORE!!

The highlight of my recent trip to Italy was the Milan Expo 2015, the World’s Fair which drew over 21 million visitors with its pavilions from over 140 countries. This was an unforgettable experience which I described in the November 2015 Notiziario. In September, I had joined a group of mostly National Italian American Foundation members from New York and New Jersey and flew to Milan on Alitalia, staying first in Biella, a textile center near Milan that lies in the foothills of the Alps, and then in Como on the famous lake which at one point is a 5-minute drive from the Swiss border.

And while the Expo was definitely an extraordinary experience, the trip was so much more, it turned out. After arriving in Milan’s Malpensa airport, we went straight to Biella, in the Piemonte region, about an hour outside Milan where we stayed at the centrally located Hotel Astoria Biella across the street from La Lucciola pizzeria (yes, really!!). Biella is the capital of the province of the same name famous for its textiles and so we visited an outlet known for its fine cashmere and wool products. The area has lots of green hills and mountains, with many tall trees including beech. We took our first day trip to nearby Oropa, to see the Santuario di Oropa dedicated to the Black Madonna (Vergine Nera). We learned that the Sacro Monte di Oropa is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As we approached, we noticed that behind the church is a big mountain which was shrouded in fog that day.

Legend has it that a black wooden statue of the Virgin Mary carved by St. Luke was found in Jerusalem and carried to Oropa in the 4th century. The statue of the black Madonna has been venerated for centuries, and the town of Biella made a vow during the 17th century plague when the town was not infected, and from then on, the townspeople make a pilgrimage to the sanctuary every year. The sanctuary gets over 800,000 visitors each year, and has austere suites available for those who wish to enjoy the quiet serenity. Our guide noted that visitors are mostly foreigners because it’s “too quiet” for Italians. Inside the museum, you can see the preserved lavish bedrooms of the King and Queen of Savoy. The Museo del Tesoro holds vestments of velvet and silk with gold and silver threads, and a vault room with fabulous jeweled crowns.

Outside is a church with black marble columns and granite with the House of Savoy coat of arms. We took another day trip to Candelo, to see the Ricetto di Candelo fortress dating from the 13th century. We learned that most fortresses in the area were damaged or destroyed but this one survived since the Middle Ages as an example of fortification against invading foreign soldiers. Watchtowers guarded the townspeople who kept their food and livestock protected inside the ricetto. During peacetime, it surved as a storage place.

While we were there, we had a chance to see the whimsical arts and crafts and enjoy the local band playing in the street in front of a small but appreciative crowd. The next night we made a trip to Sordevolo, which turned out to be a highlight of the trip. Every 5 years, on weekends from June to September, the town puts on the Passion Play—a tradition that began 200 years ago. The 400 actors are all townspeople, and the chariots, horses and Roman centurions are very impressive. The costumes are all made by volunteers. Before the play starts, there is a colorful procession through the town with the horses, chariots, and actors. The money collected all goes to charity—only the horses are paid for. About 500 townspeople are involved in the play, and even the little kids play angels and devils. Before the play began, the emcee acknowledged groups in the audience from Egypt, Japan, Spain and the U.S. (including a large number from Brooklyn).

The play lasted 3 hours, and the audience of about 2,500 was mesmerized as the story unfolded. The actors played their roles with such emotion that many in the audience were in tears, like when “Judas” realized what he had done for the 30 pieces of silver and threw himself down on the ground sobbing, and when “Peter” denied Jesus 3 times before the cock crowed. At the end of this amazing performance, the audience gave the cast a rousing standing ovation, and everyone was invited to come down to the stage and meet the actors and take pictures (there was an especially warm welcome for the group from Cairo).

Our guide for the evening was one of the townspeople who normally takes part in the play, and she told us that “Jesus” spends half the year as a surfing instructor in Indonesia and “Mary” is an office worker in the town. The evening was surely one to remember!! The official website http://www.passionedicristo.org/ gives many details of the event that just ended, while noting “Arrivederci al 2015.”

Of course, we could not go to the Milan Expo without going to the nearby city of Milan, the capital of Lombardia and the financial and fashion capital of Italy. So we spent a day visiting some of the places for which the city is justly famous. Naturally, we had to go to the Duomo, and this time the beautiful cathedral was guarded by Alpini soldiers who did the security checks on everyone entering. The weather was perfect for enjoying a gelato outdoors while listening to the street musicians on the steps of the Duomo. And of course we had to see the Teatro della Scala museum which is just a stone’s throw from the cathedral.

The La Scala museum is full of costumes, paintings and busts of the famous opera singers. We were lucky enough to be there while a dress rehearsal of the ballet “Sleeping Beauty” was taking place, so they let us in 4 at a time to see the dancers rehearsing. Afterwards, we went down the street to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the oldest enclosed shopping center in the world. The beautiful windows of the Versace, Prada, Louis Vuitton and other stores were drawing in lots of shoppers, and in the middle of the Galleria, there was a fashion shoot going on with a bride and groom who would surely win the title of best-dressed at any wedding. And nearby was the famous “bull of Torino,” a mosaic of a bull on the floor. Many people were making the 3 clockwise turns on the bull for good luck, while their friends took pictures. On another day, we went to Trivero to the Casa Zegna museum, which showcases the designs of Ermenegildo Zegna.

He founded the menswear company famous for using the world’s finest textiles. We learned how the company goes all over the world searching for the best textiles such as wool from New Zealand and vicuna from Peru. We saw memorabilia such as a photo of the founder aboard the Rex oceanliner coming to New York in 1938, and we saw examples of how menswear has evolved over the decades. But his grandchildren who now run the company are looking to the future too, and we saw balaclavas made with the finest silk and wool blend, a winter jacket with a solar patch, and another jacket with a port for an iPod. Zegna has set up a foundation that is very involved with the environment, and we saw a beautiful exhibit of “floral landscapes” in the museum lobby. Fabrics, accessories, objects and images were displayed, all inspired by the botanical world.

There were even recipes shown that use aromatic herbs, flowers and fruits from Biella’s hills and mountains, and a cookbook featuring flower-based recipes is in the works. After leaving the museum, we went to a nearby restaurant for lunch. At another long table, there was a group celebrating a birthday so our group joined in singing the birthday song. It turned out that they were members of the Zegna family celebrating grandson Paolo’s birthday, and they came over and took pictures with us and sent over a big cake with glazed fruit on top that was really delicious as well as beautiful. What a gracious, elegant family they are!!

The second part of our trip was spent in Como, about 25 miles north of Milan. While we were in Como, we stayed at the beautiful Hotel Sheraton Lake Como. The weather was perfect and in the evening, it was nice to just relax and enjoy an aperetivo outdoors near the centrally located Duomo. On our final day, we went out on a boat all around Lake Como, with Bellagio as our destination. There were quite a few boats out on the lake, including 2 named Renzo and Lucia (after characters in “I Promessi Sposi”). We passed George Clooney’s beautiful lakeside Villa Oleandra and learned that the villa next to his is on the market for “only” 42 million euros.

Thanks to George (as he’s known there), there are frequent celebrity sightings such as Julia Roberts, Brooke Shields, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the Beckhams and Elton John. Next we passed the lakeside Villa Balbaniello, seen in the James Bond movie “Casino Royale.” It’s also the world’s most popular location for weddings (120 last year). We also saw the villa where John Legend got married, and on the other side of the lake, the two huge villas owned by the king of Saudi Arabia (one for himself and his family and the other for his entourage).

We learned that Lake Como is shaped like an upside-down Y that goes up to the Alps, and everything grows—you can see palm trees and snow. The Como arm of the lake lies to its southwest, the Lecco arm of the lake lies to its southeast, and at the northern point of the triangle lies Bellagio, looking across to the northern arm of the lake, and behind it the Alps. At one point, it’s only a 5-minute drive to the Swiss border. On the way to Bellagio, we saw a bridge on the shore with a beautiful waterfall behind it, and we passed Isola Comacina, the only island on the lake.

We learned that in the year 1169, the bishop cursed the island for supporting Milan against Como in a 10- year war, and the island burned down and was razed to the ground. Nothing was built for centuries, and even today, no one lives on the island. We arrived in Bellagio in time for lunch and shopping, and it’s plain to see why it’s so popular with tourists. It really is a gorgeous place!! After leaving Bellagio, we went by boat to Villa Carlotta with its beautiful gardens and art. We learned that Napolean commissioned the frieze in one of the main rooms which depicted Alexander the Great riding into Babylon.

The villa, once owned by the Grand Duke of Prussia, was filled with beautiful works of art. The trip to see the Milan Expo turned out to be so much more, and the time we spent in Lombardia and Piemonte showed us how much these regions have to offer. And on the morning we left, the La Scala Orchestra was playing at the check-in counter at Milan’s Malpensa airport. Only in Italy!!