Your Comprehensive Travel Guide to Milan’s Largest Gothic Cathedral | Duomo Milan

Why is the Duomo Milan So Famous?

• 'Duomo di Milano is the 5th largest church in the world. It can accommodate upto 40,000 people.
  
• The Cathedral was designed by legends across 9 generations. Thousands of artists, craftsmen, builders, and 78 architects from across Europe worked on the structure for 500 years!
  
• It is famous for its contrasting styles, such as Romanticism, Gothic Revival, and Gothic, Flamboyant, which display the work of various art legends from different generations.
  
• Duomo Milan is famous for its collection of 4000 statues, gargoyles, and figures.
  
• Witness the Holy Nail relic, which as per the legend was the same one used during the crucifixion of Christ. The red light bulb illuminates over the altar creating a significant impact.
  
• Climb up the terrace and soak in the incredible views of the city and the chance to see the 135 spires rising above the cathedral.
  
• Witness how the sundial on the floor near the main entrance was once used to regulate clocks in the whole city.
  
• Admire the gilded statue of Madonnina and the Virgin Mary, situated on top of the highest spire of Milan Cathedral.

History of the Duomo Milan in a Nutshell

In 1385, with the aim to replace the existing cathedral on site, a new one was commissioned by Giangaleazzo Visconti. The work had begun in 1386, but soon in 1402 it had all stopped due to a shortage of funds and lack of ideation.

In 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte helped in financing the construction and much more of the cathedral was built including the pinnacles, spires, flying buttresses, and the roof. The flying buttresses are pillars that form an arch with the walls they support often topped with vertical ornamentation.

New stained-glass windows were made between 1829 and 1858 to replace the existing ones. In 1943, the city was bombed, which ended up impacting the church and it had to be repaired. The construction of the church was not completed until 1965 when the construction was finally done and the cathedral was open to the public.

Architecture of the Duomo Milan

Duomo Milan, otherwise known as the Milan Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral, the construction of which progressed over many centuries. Its style moved to be more Renaissance between the period of the 14th and 17th centuries, a time when many technological advances took place in Europe.

Duomo Milan was originally going to be built from terracotta brick, but it eventually changed to marble early on during the construction process. The façade of the marble was constructed over a period of years and its style is different from the ground to the top. The lower level follows Renaissance in design while as it goes higher, it follows a Gothic design as this part was built between 1645 and 1812.

The Gothic style is characterized by dramatic ornamentation and height, both of which are evident here. The cathedral contains over 3400 statues and thousands of individual spires. The tallest amongst these is 354 ft. tall and has a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary known as La Madonnina.