Hello friends,
Unfortunately, I can't update my blog much lately because, as I mentioned in a previous post, I'm in the middle of a sort of relocation and I'm really busy with very little time to write.
But actually, last time I wanted to but then I forgot, I wanted to share with you a wonderful guided tour I took in a truly historic place in Milan, which probably offers very few opportunities to visit. Indeed, I was very fortunate because every now and then there are guides in the area who organize these tours in historic Milanese venues.
And surely this hotel has made history in Milan, not only because it is located a stone's throw from La Scala Theatre, but also because it was inaugurated on May 23, 1863, and has always been a reference point, not only for the Milanese elite but also for all those people who frequented the theater. So, it has seen quite a few famous people pass by and stay inside this hotel.
Moreover, I was very lucky because I encountered a very knowledgeable guide on the subject. It's much easier when talking about very historic places or very famous monuments, but finding someone truly knowledgeable about historic venues is truly a rarity. And the nice thing is that they also told us some amusing anecdotes or events that happened inside this hotel, like when Giuseppe Verdi almost set his hotel room on fire, and they even say that that room was never fully restored as a reminder of what happened.
It must also be said that this Grand Hotel was already very luxurious and modern at its origin. In fact, it already offered services that were practically very innovative at the time. For example, the postal telegraph was a very useful tool, especially for people staying for business within this hotel. It was a bit like having a telephone in your room now.
Imagine that Giuseppe Verdi stayed here for a whopping 27 years, and in fact, besides the misadventure of the fire, here the great composer composed some of his most famous works. Unfortunately, we could only visit a part of the rooms that the musician inhabited, because they are occupied at the moment, but apparently, you can stay there by paying a very high price.
Imagine that already in 1930, when it underwent a complete renovation, they added modern bathrooms, running water, and finally a telephone in every room. Of course, they made an exception and allowed me to photograph parts of the hotel because, actually being a private matter, photography is not tolerated.
Another thing I discovered during this guided tour, and probably many of you don't know, is that this hotel was built above a part of the ancient defensive walls of Milan because like almost all cities in Italy, Milan was surrounded by defensive walls that practically no longer exist.
During excavations they carried out in the 1990s, and now there are the hotel's cellars that unfortunately are not visitable, parts of these walls were found in the foundations, which is truly extraordinary, I would say.
I like, though, that this place still preserves today the Liberty-style architectures, which in my opinion represent a lot of elegance.
I was very lucky to find a guided tour in this place because, as I understood, it doesn't open to many visits. However, if you happen to pass by Milan, you can still pay a visit to this place, nobody will chase you away, and you don't necessarily have to stay overnight.
I hope this story of mine was interesting about this place; who knows how many more stories there are in this hotel related to other characters who have stayed here. It would be really nice to discover them!
I greet you all and see you next time, kisses.
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