This morning was an early one. A few of us left the hotel at 6:15 for 7:00 mass inside the Duomo, which was definitely worthwhile. After some confusion navigating the Metro, we saw the city center through a new perspective without the crowds of tourists. Shoutout to Spencer and Dr. Clark for helping us find the proper entrance to the cathedral! Once inside, I was taken away by the beauty and immense detail of the architecture. Stained glass, high ceilings, and ornate statues characterized the 600-year-old structure.
I am glad I attended mass, but the early start time diminished my recovery from the jet lag. As an antidote, I tried my first cappucino at breakfast. Then we traveled again by Metro to the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. This time, we switched from the green line to the yellow line. At the university we had a tour, lecture, and lunch.
My favorite part was the lecture on fashion business models and sustainability. There, Professor Francesca Rinaldi explained the difference between fashion and luxury. Fashion is centered around seasonality and change, while luxury translates to timeless pieces. Additionally, fashion refers more to clothing while luxury can include items like cars, yachts, and furniture. We also were shown the textile-apparel pipeline, a chart that very closely resembled the supply chain flow charts we constructed during pre-departure meetings. I felt excited during the lecture because the preparation from those meetings was being discussed here in a Milan university thousands of miles away from home. It made me think that we really are not in Benedum Hall anymore!
After the University visit we reunited with our tour guide and headsets from yesterday at the Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci. There we saw many different replicas of Leonardo’s sketches of the human anatomy, an exhibit on Mars, and a replica of the Last Supper painting.
On our way back, we had some confusion taking the Metro back to the hotel. Switching lines without our tour guides was surprisingly straightforward, but the first train stopped moving before we got to our stop. We needed to get off the train and then wait and then reenter the station. Now I am waiting to head to dinner. I plan to make tonight an early night before Como tomorrow; I really cannot wait to see the lake in person and visit the Mantero Seta S.p.A. Ciao ciao ciao ciao ciao!