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Milan
takes a timeout!
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Milan, the business heart of Italy, stops work for
a day. We discover the street markets, traditions
and churches dedicated to Milan's patron saint -
Sant'Ambrogio. |
Once
a year Milan opts out of the rat race and releases
its good citizens onto the streets to spend some
time together - albeit wrapped up in their winter
woollies. The magic date is December 7th,
the feast of Sant'Ambrogio (Saint Ambrose),
better known to the Milanese as Sant’Ambrös.
 The
city takes to the streets
The area around the Basilica
of Sant'Ambrogio - which, for those of you
unfamiliar with the city, is right in the centre
- is thronged with stalls and bankers, clerks and
ad execs take time out to browse through antiques,
crafts and bric-à-brac before tucking into
the meats, cheeses and sweets available from the
hot food stands. Sant'Ambrogio is not Sant'Ambrogio
without a glass of piping hot vin
brulé, served in plastic cups and
at its best sipped with a bag of freshly roasted
chestnuts.
Sant'Ambrogio is an important date on the Milanese
calendar and festivities go on for three days, finishing
off with the market on December 7th.
The festival also coincides with the opening of
the opera season in La
Scala as well as the presentation of the
"Ambrogini d'oro" to people and associations
who have made a positive contribution to the city
of Milan throughout the past year.
The devil and the bull
Here are two of the city's most popular legends,
appropriate reading for any non-Milanese wishing
to mark the day when the city's residents rediscover
their ancient traditions. The first is centred around
the Devil's Column, or rather the ancient
Roman column in front of the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio.
Visitors to the Basilica will notice two holes in
the column which were supposedly made by the Devil's
horns during a particularly violent confrontation
with Christ. On New Year's Eve sulphurous fumes
are said to rise from the holes.
 For
the second legend we move to the Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele, close to the Duomo. The mosaics on
the floor of the Gallery show the coats of arms
of a number of Italian cities, including a very
anatomically correct bull representing Turin.
According to modern-day superstition passers-by
will be blessed with good luck if they press down
on the bull's balls making a circle with their foot
(some people take it a step further and twirl around).
It goes without saying that after years of this
practice the poor bulls' genitals have been rubbed
away forcing the council to periodically restore
its mosaic attributes.
When you're tired of walking around the market,
or tramping on the poor bull, then stop off at the
ATM Bar, an American bar which was opened
in an old ATM (Azienda Trasporti Municipali - the
local transport company) social club. The bar is
on Bastioni di Porta Volta, right in the heart of
the city's traffic, between Moscova and Garibaldi
tube stations. Head there for happy hour
when you can choose from a wide variety of delicious
cocktails and tuck into a moreish buffet all for
3-4 euros.
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by
MARCELLO PARMEGGIANI  |
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Nov.
14th, 2001
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THE SURVIVOR'S 
