Churches of Stone and Gold

Departing Venezia, just over 2 hours on the speedy FrecciaBianca, a total shift in Architecture takes place. Contemplation on departing the Venice Architecture Biennale with a detour through Milano, revealed a real contrast in the approaches in the architecture of each city’s churches, exemplified in S.Marco v The Duomo.

The Eastern influences that informed  and created the churches in Venice and the Veneto region, those that created the golden vaults and the eastern arches, are dramatically re-worked in sharp, cold stone. The interior of the Duomo in Milan has a monotone heaviness of dark stone, the ornate stone carved windows silhouetted against the coloured lead light windows, acting in dramatic contrast. The apparent monotone interior is starkly different to the gold and warm tones of S.Marco, and the Venetian Churches.

Walking up the exterior to the roof the Duomo, the visitor is immersed and moves through a stone-scape of ornate buttresses, intricate stairs, and passageways - a surreal landscape hovering over the city, and watching over its inhabitants.