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Italian summer nights above the rooftops: Milan Cathedral is a perfect place 

There are places where time seems to stand still. Places where music touches the sky. Milan Cathedral is one such place.

For several years now, the unique Italian Summer Nights have been held there in summer. I've already been there several times, and this year it's happening again: from the beginning of June to mid-September, unique concerts of all kinds take place right next to the famous Madonnina, the golden statue of the Virgin Mary at a height of 130 metres. What many people don't know: The Madonnina does not stand still. In strong winds, she turns slightly on her axis, as if she herself is keeping time when music blows over the cathedral roofs.

Shh, an urban legend even claims that she secretly hums Verdi's arias when nobody is looking...

Anyone who experiences a concert on the roof of this Gothic wonder in summer stands between stone and stars, between history and the present. When the last rays of sunlight are caught in the filigree turrets and the first notes float through the air, it is no longer a concert, but an experience that you carry with you in your heart, even months and years later...

These are Italian summer evenings and some nights you never forget. Not because they were loud, but because they gave you goose bumps. A voice, a cello, a breath of wind, over the rooftops of Milan, music becomes a memory. And once you've been there, you realise: you don't just listen, you become part of a larger whole.

Of course, Milan Cathedral is unique. And yet there are rooftops all over the world that are similarly enchanting; every city has its own melody:

Paris

Concerts on the roof of the Philharmonie. When you see the Eiffel Tower glistening in the evening sun, you realise that music can shine.

Barcelona

The roof terrace of Casa Batlló invites you to jazz evenings in summer, as if Gaudí himself were listening.

New York

On the roof of the Metropolitan Museum, modern art and classical music meet skylines otherwise only seen in films.

Summer concerts on the rooftops of metropolises are more than just a cultural experience. They are escapes from everyday life, micro-adventures for the heart and holistic joy. Maybe it's the first note, maybe the last glance, somewhere between the sky and the music something happens that stays with you. I'll make my way to the next rooftop and take you with me.