The disturbing side of Milan’s Cathedral

During our trip to Milan, we came across one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen. While touring the Duomo di Milano (or the Cathedral of Milan) I was instantly blown away by the size of the cathedral (it is the fourth biggest cathedral in the world and it is the biggest in Italy).

Duomo di Milano

The church was truly impressive, until I realized that something, which disturbs me even now, was being openly displayed to the public.

What's that down there?

What is that you see below the grandiose statue? Nothing really… just the sarcophagus of a previous arch bishop, his bony, sinewy hands and neck exposed for the world to see!

A little bit freaky, to say the least! Especially that grey-ish gloveless hand resting on his white cloak.

I only took these photos displayed in the blog (for blogging purposes), because I found it rather macabre to stare and photograph a corpse. It is such a shocking sight though – in this holy place entwined with beautiful architecture and art are all these bodies gradually rotting away for all the public to see. I don't think it's really respecting the wishes of the dead to "Rest in Peace", now is it?

The sarcophagi start with the oldest one which is a pile of bones dressed in white cloth… but then it gets creepier as the sarcophagi get “younger”. Some of them wear silver masks, others' faces are exposed with skulls grinning from within their glass coffins.

There is also a crypt of Charles Borromeo who used to be the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan but who has been canonized and is now a saint. People can come from all over the world to see the body of this saint – which doesn't seem saintly at all. And it is rather sad to think that everyone is ogling this corpse after he insisted that he should not be canonized nor embalmed after his death! 

To contribute to the eeriness is a statue of Saint Bartolomeo, who was flayed. The statue depicts the saint with his skin dressed around him like a toga. Rather macabre.

St Bartolomeo the flayed

The cathedral isn’t just eerie; it does offer a lot to see. There is a red light in the apse of the church where the supposed nails of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified, is kept. The Nail of the Cross is retrieved every year during the Rite of Nivola, where the public can see the nails.

Beautiful artworks along the nave. If you look below the cross, you'll see a red  dot - that is where the Nail of the Cross is kept.

During November (when we visited the cathedral), there are beautiful artworks being displayed along the nave. And the architecture itself allows one’s eye to see various intricate elements all over.

The cathedral is truly beautiful and amazing to see. Perhaps the sarcophagi contribute to the dark element of the Gothic style in which the cathedral was built. But in the words of Henry James: it is “a structure not supremely interesting, not logical, not … commandingly beautiful, but grandly curious and superbly rich.”

Have you ever been to the Milan cathedral? What is your opinion of sarcophagi in the modern age? Do you find it fascinating or macabre?