See you at La Scala!

Getting tickets for La Scala theatre is often a frustrating quest, both for the Milanese and tourists. Yet today, Easter Friday, may be your lucky day, and this evening you may be sitting in your box seat of one of the most famous theatres in the world.
Strange as it may seem, there are some tickets still available for the charity concert of tonight: the Symphonic Orchestra Giuseppe Verdi (nicknamed "la Verdi") will perform J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) conducted by Ruben Jais.
The soloists are Makoto Sakurada (Evangelist), Karina Gauvin (soprano), Stefanie Iranyi (mezzo-soprano), Cyrill Auvity (tenor), Christian Senn (baritone), Klaus Kuttler (baritone), Daniele Caputo (baritone), Cristiano Contadin (bass-viol).
Symphonic Choir "G. Verdi" (choir master Erina Gambarini) and Children's Choir "La Verdi" (choir master Maria Teresa Tramontin).

Tickets are available at Ricordi Media Store, in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Prices range from 40 to 60 euros. Unsold tickets (if there will be any) will be on sale from 6.30 pm at La Scala ticket office, in via Filodrammatici.
Have a wonderful evening!

Mozart in Milano: the church of Sant'Antonio Abate

photograph by Giovanni Dall'Orto - WikiCommons

The name of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has an unexpected yet strong link with the city of Milano. The genius of Saltzburg visited Italy three times during his life, but it is here in Milano that he wrote and performed the first of his works to be still widely performed today, the solo motet Exsultate, Jubilate (K. 165). Here it is performed by Cecilia Bartoli, one of the finest voices in the world, and Claudio Abbado, the great Milanese conductor.

Exsultate, Jubilate was written for the castrato Venanzio Rauzzini - who, according to Leopold Mozart, Wolfgang's father, "sang like an angel" - and premiered on Sunday, January 17 1773 (Mozart was just 16), in the church of Saint Anthony the Abbott.

The link with Mozart is just one of many reasons to visit this beautiful church, in via Sant'Antonio 5 (five minutes from piazza del Duomo), a hidden treasure little known both to the tourists and to Milanese themselves. 
In the XVIII century, when Mozart was in Milano, the church was still associated with the order of the Theatines, a religious congregation which worships the Virgin and the Holy Cross. The latter is the subject of an important cycle of frescoes on the vaults of Sant'Antonio, representing the Stories of the Holy Cross which - according to the legend - was found in Jerusalem by Saint Helena, emperor Constantine's mother, in the IV century.
The interior of the church is a sort of "museum" of Mannerism style, elegant and sophisticated, with some exquisite works by Giovan Battista Crespi (nicknamed "Cerano"), Procaccini and Carracci.
Next to the altar is a statue of saint Anthony the Abbott, with a little pig at his feet. Why Saint Anthony is universally recognized as the patron of hogs is actually unknown, but one reason may be his being credited in assisting in miraculous healings from shingles, also known as "St. Anthony's Fire". From the end of the XIII century to the beginning of the XVI, the friars of Saint Anthony managed a small hospital where people suffering from St. Anthony Fire were cured, mainly with soothing preparations derived from pig's fat.

Tours cancelled on Sunday 24th and 31st

The Sunday tours on March 24th and 31st are cancelled.
On March 24th, Milano will be invaded by the runners of "Stramilano", a half marathon which starts from the Sforza Castle and affects the itinerary of the "Ghosts" tour.
March 31st is Easter Sunday, and some of the sites included in the tour are closed.

We are sorry for the inconvenience, but we hope to meet you on our other tours!

Concerts in the Sforza Castle

The Sala della Balla is one of the most famous halls in the Castello Sforzesco. It houses the magnificent Trivulzio tapestries and some rare pieces of the Museum of Musical Instruments.
In March the huge hall will also host two concerts of Baroque music, on Friday 15th and Saturday 23rd, at 4 pm. Admission to the concerts is included in the ticket to the museum, which costs a mere 3 euros.
It is a perfect chance to enjoy the beauty and athmosphere of the inner rooms of the castle, and the surprising richness of the museums that transformed what once was a military citadel in a center of culture and history.
Inside the Sforza fortress you will find, among the others:
- the Pinacoteca, with works by Mantegna, Antonello da Messina, Foppa,
- the Museum of Decorative Arts and Musical Instruments, with a rich collection of ceramics, antique furniture and ivories,
- the Museum of Ancient Art, which is home to the last masterpiece of Michelangelo, the dramatic Pietà Rondanini.

And, if the wheather is fine, don't forget to have a walk in the park and look for the Ponte delle Sirenette (Mermaids' Bridge), which once crossed one of the city canals: it is Milano lovers' bridge par excellence.