Linda has fallen in love with Swiss railways! Long, clean, punctual bullet nosed (bit Virgin train-like) inter-regional train sped to Neuchatel punctually, inside an hour. (This is the land of the clock and Neuchatel the centre of that industry where the Chronometric observatory keeps ‘official swiss time’). Neuchatel clings and climbs up steep slopes rising from its namesake lake. So the railway snakes into town along such an elevated contour of the mountainside that getting to town involves riding down by virtually-vertical-drop funicular railway (but at least it’s inside tunnels!) Full of historically and architecturally fab buildings and bizarre statue-topped former cattle troughs, (now only ornamental fountains), Neuchatel is dominated (long long climb uphill!) by a range of public buildings.
The Counts of Neuchatel’s Castle (12-16th century) with armorial bearings and shields of the counts and cantons painted along one outside wall for all the town to look up and see; the Prison Tower (15th century) and green and yellow roofed cathedral. Post Reformation, the Reformed Zwinglian Collegiale cathedral and cloisters were given up by the Countess of Neuchatel who, remaining a Roman Catholic had her private chapel in the castle. The Collegiale was re-ordered in Zwinglian protestant style, but an elaborate and decorative three-decker cenotaph covered in gaudily painted statues of Counts and their ladies remained in situ. A fascinating memorial, it colourfulness jars with the pale unadorned simplicity of the gothic architecture ….reminiscent of Salisbury cathedral.
It was a very warm day inviting an al fresco lunch in the Collegiale gardens high on the hill overlooking the town and lake. A rather forbidding statue of William Farel, who brought Reformed Zwinglian Protestantism, stands life-size on his plinth, holding the scriptures high above his head and trampling a piece of statuary under his feet, as if challenging the Collegiale’s west end.
An unmissable offer by Swiss Rail led Linda onto a Cisalpino tilting train bound for Milan. Three hours travelling round Lake Geneva, between the Bernese and Valais Alps, along the Rhone river valley, down the Simplon Tunnel into Italy; alongside Lake Maggiore with its former ‘plague islands’ floating serenely in the mist and finally into the massive white stone and marble Art Nouveau cathedral that is Milan Central station.
Linda had planned a rapid ‘church-crawl’ with help from her Parish priest who has lived in Milan. The Duomo dedicated to the Virgin Mary is the obvious draw, but is so vast and dark and echoing to the steps and chatter and flash photography of tourist and pilgrim that something of its spirit seems lost. But nevertheless a magnificent masterpiece of jaw-dropping beauty, particularly outside…where you could spend weeks just identifying every statue and story depicted. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II to the north of Duomo square is one of those ‘victorian’ style glass and iron arcades but giant scale…unsurprised to discover a British company started building it in 1865 before going bust!
Milan’s underground is great with daily ticket valid on whole network, so………. off to St. Ambrose’s Basilica. A wedding began but tourists were not asked to leave (can you imagine!). This really was a quiet, still place of much prayer, almost palpable in the atmosphere. Here you could just sit, enjoy, pray and attempt to assimilate the humbling realisation that this holy building dates from 379CE, whilst watching others take marriage vows for life. 379… when creeds, doctrine, ecclesial ruptures were being debated and formed….in that early period just a few decades after persecution of Christians had ceased. How close is that world to our own now? We still seek to formulate one creed, one visible expression of ecclesial body, debating church ruptures and looking for the day when Christians will no longer be persecuted. St Ambrose shares his open silver and glass coffin with two martyrs beneath the gold and silver leaf 7th century high altar. Their skeletons are clothed as priests and bishop and with Ambrose’s sister Monica are highly revered relics for pilgrims.
Last stop was St Maria delle Grazie dating from 1463 but now attracting visitors to Da Vinci’s Last Supper painting on the refectory back wall in the wake of ‘Da Vinci code’ book. From the cloister garden, the sixteen side lantern, circled by architraved windows and arches on double columns in red brick and cream plaster was just sublime. Inside preparation was underway for 5.30pm mass, but no-one seemed to mind the Protestant sitting gazing at the frescoes and mosaics around the apses above the sanctuary! Life size, the ‘Virgin Mary of Mercy’ painting in a side chapel (which is older than the church and after which it is named), was thought provoking. The pose depicts the mother of Jesus as stretching out her arms and cloak around the faithful. Last stop…Italian ice-cream….not to be missed; pistachio & coffee flavours. Strange looks from passers-by..eating giant ice-cream cone in the dusk of a November day?….must be a tourist!
