As I typed that sentence, this is what happened...tears!
One of the strangest traditions in Milan is spinning on the bull’s balls in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
It is known locally as ‘il salotto buono’, the fine drawing room, because it is where everyone goes for the main evening passeggiata (strolling) route. Built in 1877 by Giuseppe Mengoni, its humongous iron and and glass structure, cross plan and churchlike proportions were designed to celebrate the new industrial Italy, one with more secular concerns such as business, fashion and high finance.
Unfortunately, Mengoni fell to his death from the scaffolding just weeks before the 14-year project was completed. So, to avoid similar bad luck tourists and Milanese alike head for the mosaic of the dancing bull (said to mark the spot where he fell) to grind their heels firmly into its testicles.
He wrote from right to left and his letters were mirrored because he did not want people to be able to easily understand his work.
When he ran out of paper, he would go back and start writing in the opposite direction on pages already used, in the free space.
Gears and linear motion
Do you see a face...if not, check out the next picture!
The bicycle!
Drawings of birds in right hand margin
