The story of the Duomo Di Milano

The most historic, iconic and captivating site in Milan is by far the ‘Duomo Di Milano’.

In this second edition of this blog we are taking a look at the cathedral and what makes it the heart of one of the most visited cities in the world. Standing proud in the 'Piazza del Duomo', this behemoth cathedral has seen more than 600 years and is still extremely well looked after!

The cathedral is the 5th largest Christian Church in the world, beaten only by; St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil, Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York and Seville’s Cathedral. Yet out of that list the Duomo is still the oldest Church! The Duomo also holds the world record for most statues on a building, with 3,400 statues, 135 gargoyles and 700 figures… Mind-blowing!

It is also possible to climb to the roof of the Duomo where it is no secret that you’ll witness the best views of the captivating city. From the staggering San Siro to the stunning snow-capped peaks of the Alps, the view is simply mesmerising. The amazing piece of architecture is topped off by the famous Madonnina, the gold-coloured statue of Mary that stands on the cathedral’s highest spire.

The cathedral took thousands of years to build as its construction began in 1386 by Bishop Antonio da Saluzzo and was completed in early 19th century by Napoleon. It took thousands of artists and sculptors to complete the work of art and it took so long due to politics, lack of money and seemingly never-ending issues which kept the cathedral on standby for what seemed like forever.

However as of 2023 the Duomo Di Milano is standing strong, attracting over five million people per year and will forever be recognised as one of the most iconic structures in the world.

Make sure to keep an eye out for the next blog where we head to Torino to look at the magnificent Mole Antonelliana.