Milan’s Gothic Cathedral: A Spectacle of Marble Spires and Statuary

As you emerge from the metro station into Milan’s Piazza del Duomo, you can’t help but be awed by the vertical architecture of the city’s famous Gothic cathedral. Also known as the Duomo di Milano, this monumental basilica was under construction for the best part of 500 years: from 1386, when the first stone was laid, to the early 1800s, when Napoleon commissioned architect Carlo Amati to finish the façade. (The French emperor had a good reason for wanting a complete cathedral: he was to be crowned king of Italy in its hallowed halls in 1805.) During those five centuries, prestigious architects, masons and artists from all over Europe contributed to the construction and decoration of Milan’s cathedral. This multicultural hub of creativity resulted in one of the finest expressions of Gothic architecture. Are you ready to discover the history and art of this iconic site?

Milan’s cathedral enthralls with its resplendent exterior of white marble, a material hand-picked by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the 14th-century ruler of the city. Along the roofline, lace-like stonework adds airiness to the massive building, which is Italy’s largest cathedral. (St Peter’s is larger, but it is technically in the Vatican City.) Lean pillars in relief taper into spiky pinnacles as they rise up to the sky, and on every spire, on every plinth, in every niche is a statue, a gargoyle or a bust, for an astonishing total of 2,300 sculptural elements (and that’s just on the outside). They mostly portray biblical characters and martyred saints, but a 1920s restoration project saw the addition of statues of significant contemporary lay people, such as boxing champion Primo Carnera, portrayed mid-fight, and Arturo Toscanini, who was music director at the nearby Teatro alla Scala opera house.

It’s well worth paying the entrance fee to see the Duomo’s splendid interior, where 52 columns with a unique style of capital (featuring statues instead of Ionic scrolls or acanthus leaves) support the ceiling’s Gothic vaults. Let your eye follow this trail of pillars to the main altar, which originally belonged in the 9th-century Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, now part of the archaeological area of Milan’s cathedral. Along the five naves and the transept are stained-glass windows depicting scenes from the Bible and the lives of saints, plus side chapels, smaller altars and the tombs of important Milanese archbishops. Highlights include the Altar of the Presentation of the Virgin, with a marble tableau that portrays Mary as a child about to climb the steps to the temple, and the sinewy statue of St Bartholomew. Look carefully: the tunic he appears to be wearing is actually his skin, a gruesome reference to his martyrdom (being flayed alive).

In a tabernacle high above the altar is the Holy Nail, believed to have been used in Christ’s crucifixion. This relic is the protagonist of an annual custom that sees the Archbishop of Milan float up to the ceiling in a cloud-like lift to retrieve the nail, which is then displayed at the main altar for 40 hours. This ritual started in 1576, when Archbishop Carlo Borromeo carried the relic in a procession to intercede for the end of the plague that was ravaging the city. Borromeo has enjoyed star status in Milan ever since, and he has the cathedral’s most distinctive funerary monument. His remains are kept in a silver-and-crystal urn in a small subterranean chapel, the Scurolo, which is accessed via the crypt, itself a breathtaking space featuring red marble columns and a ceiling decorated with stucco work and frescoes.

A visit to Milan’s cathedral is not complete without going up to its rooftop terraces – whether climbing 251 steps or by lift – for a closer view of the Duomo’s intricate architectural elements. These include ornate flying buttresses and myriad statues vertiginously perched atop slender spires. All the statues are carved out of marble – except one: the Madonnina. The beloved protectress of the city, which has been standing on the Duomo’s tallest pinnacle since 1774, has a steel structure covered in gilded copper plates.

It might be known as the Madonnina (“little Madonna”), but there is nothing diminutive about this statue, which stands more than 4 metres tall. The Milanese hold the Madonnina in such regard that in the 1930s a law was introduced, stipulating that no edifice in the city should tower above her, effectively limiting the height of any future building to within 108.5 metres. This rule was observed until 1960, when the 127-metre Pirelli Tower was inaugurated. In order to enable Milan’s golden Madonna to continue to keep watch from the highest point in the city, a smaller replica of the Madonnina was installed on top of the new skyscraper. Thanks to this creative solution, there are now three reproductions of the Madonnina in play, the latest crowning the modern Allianz Tower (209 metres).

• Accessibility: The cathedral’s lift takes you only up to the first level; after that, you’ll have to navigate a pretty steep staircase to get to the uppermost terrace.

Blending architecture, art, history and the city’s rich cultural heritage in one breathtaking whole, the Duomo is the must-visit spot in Milan. However, there is lots more to do and see in Italy’s bustling and industrious fashion capital – much of it within easy walking distance of Piazza del Duomo.

• Piazza del Duomo, 20122 Milan. Metro stop: Duomo (M1 or M3).
• Open: 9am–7pm daily; last entrance 6pm.
• Different types of tickets allow access to the Duomo itself, plus other parts of the cathedral complex, such as the terraces, the museum and the archaeological area. Ticket prices range from €10 (Duomo + museum, in the nearby Royal Palace) to €34 (three-day ticket for the entire cathedral complex, plus the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana). When you buy your ticket online, you can choose your time slot, too.
• Guided tours are also available.
• Modesty rules: When visiting Milan's cathedral, ensure that your shoulders and knees are covered.