Turists in Milan
Point 1: Watch Tower (Torre dell’Orologio) – San Gottardo in Corte
Address: Via Pecorari, 2
The bell tower of San Gottardo is a work by Francesco Pecorari da Cremona and dates back to around 1336.
The belfry is an areal room encircled by 24 double columns to sustain a high cone dominated by a bronze statue of San Michele. The belfry is described as “the wonderful clock” thanks to its special mechanism that strokes the hours according to the Italic system: the first toll at sunset, with a total of 24 tolls at the end of the day.
Source: Milano passo a passo, Hoepli, Decapoa, Collarin, Scilipoti.
Point 2: San Giovanni in Conca
Address: Piazza Missori angolo Via Albricci
La piazza Missori conserva un interessante frammento di storia medievale. Detto bonariamente dai milanesi “dente cariato” cioè ciò che rimane dell’abside della chiesa di San Giovanni.
La chiesa stessa si può fare risalire al XIII secolo mentre la cripta, il cui accesso è possibile attraverso una scala moderna risale al XI secolo. La storia del luogo è legata a Bernabò Visconti signore della città insieme al fratello Galeazzo II. Tra le passioni di Bernabò c’erano i cani tanto che il suo castello era chiamato Cà dei Can. Si racconta che amasse particolarmente i mastini e che ne possedesse oltre 5000 dati in cura alla popolazione che non sempre se ne occupava con spontaneità e che veniva punita se i cani erano mantenuti o troppo grassi o troppo magri.
Fonte dei commenti: Milano passo a passo, Hoepli, Decapoa, Collarin, Scilipoti.
Point 3: Cannon Ball
Address: Corso Porta Romana, 3
Leaving the shop on your left, you just need to walk a few steps to discover a piece of Milan history: in Corso di Porta Romana, 3 you’ll be able to admire Palazzo Acerbi,a building from the 17th century which belonged to the Milanese senator Ludovico Acerbi. If you look up at the shelf positioned on the right of the first balcony, you will see a cannon ball: it was shot on 20th March 1848 during the famous 5-day insurrection in Milan - as attested by a tiny plaque placed below the ball.
Palazzo Acerbi is well-known not so much for its baroque architectural style (particularly sober and austere) as for his owner Ludovico Acerbi, a senator and marquis from Milan who, during the spreading of the Plague in Milan, used to organize several parties attended by the nobles who hadn’t left Milan. He also used to ride in a carriage about town, followed by a crowd of servants. Notwithstanding such exaggerated social life - rather outrageous for the period - neither the inhabitants nor the illustrious guests of that palace caught the plague. This fact provoked rumours that the building was inhabited by the devil himself.
