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Simple lines and circles could convey a lot.
"This is... a mouse? Why?"
She giggled, waving her hand in surrender, giving up on explaining.
Milan was Italy's second-largest city and one of the largest vassals of the Holy Roman Empire.
A grand cathedral was under construction here, and although ithad been in progress for over a century, it still hadn't reached its completion.
As Leonardo explained this to Hedy, she was still eyeing the nearby vendors selling trinkets.
Ice cream was unavailable, but dried berries were a good alternative.
"Why hasn't it been finished yet?"
"Because the dome is difficult to design and construct," Leonardo waved his hand, and the vendor quickly jogged over to the carriage, raising his basket to show them what was inside.
"Sir—would you like some sugar cubes? They came from the East, and one big scoop costs just one silver coin!"
"We don't need any medicine, thank you," Leonardo replied, seeing that she had bought some freshly dried fruit, and tried to steer the conversation back to the building. "Actually, the dome of the Florence Cathedral in Florence was only recently completed."
"Medicine?" Hedy, ignoring his point, looked at the clay pot the vendor was holding.
"Are you saying sugar is a medicine?"
"Isn't it used for sore throats or stomach aches?" Leonardo, still admiring the grand cathedral, didn't pick up on the surprise in her voice.
"My throat hurts a bit," Hedy quickly pulled out four silver coins. "Please pack it up a little more, thank you."
——
Milan, the city, has a shape somewhat resembling a chessboard.
The city's layout is quite mature, with churches scattered throughout, giving it a strong religious atmosphere.
If the Apennine Peninsula can be likened to a small sword placed downward with a split tip, Florence lies on the blade, while Milan and Venice are positioned to the left and right of the sword's handle.
To the west lies the dangerous France.
Hedy consciously observed her surroundings, and her mood for sightseeing somewhat diminished.
Unlike Florence, where the entire city has an ochre yellow hue, most of the buildings in Milan are cream white, including its churches.
Florence Cathedral is adorned with a three-colored granite facade of white, red, and green. Although it appears pure white from a distance, as you get closer, the colors’ layered variations become visible, with vivid relief sculptures.
The green, white, and red together form the Italian flag, and their use on the cathedral adds a softer beauty.
Moreover, the red is more specifically a pinkish hue.
When the evening light envelops Florence, the rooftops of the entire city glow with a rose-red hue, and the charm of the cathedral is further highlighted, as if draped in a veil, with a hint of mystery.
When she worked as Leonardo da Vinci's maid, she often stood nearby, gazing at it. No matter how many times she saw it, she was always amazed.
In contrast, the beauty of Milan Cathedral is more aggressive.
Although the dome has yet to be completed, its iconic Gothic spires are symmetrically distributed, and there are over a thousand statues of saints scattered all around. There are probably over a hundred spires.
It looks holy and pure, with no colors other than pure white.
