About ten years ago, I visited Milan and several other cities in northern Italy. Aside from the beautiful sculptures and building facades, the attention to detail and use of durable materials impressed me.
It wasn't just the stone fountains, stone steps, and wrought iron gates which gave the feeling of strength and endurance. While sight-seeing in Milan, I had occasion to pass an old home on a stone-paved street for several consecutive days while its interior was being renovated.
While passing by the open door (it was warm spring weather and the home was not at all recessed from the street), I saw two workmen troweling the floor. The next day, there were crates of tile near the door and I peered in to see the workmen laying the tile. The scene was the same the following day.
At first I smirked to myself at how slow and laborious this task was, but caught myself and took another look at the venerable local architecture I realized that a significantly wise investment was being made - the beauty of Italian cities endures because durable materials and craftsmanship are an integral part of the culture.
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