We've come to see one of Europe's grandest cathedral - Milan Cathedral or Gothic Duomo which was built over a period of almost 600 years. The construction of this cathedral started in 1386 and the final finishes were applied as late as in 1965.
This huge and richly ornamented cathedral is also the 4th largest in Europe. It was built with a Gothic style architecture and everything is incredulously made of marble.
This is another facade of the cathedral. A part of the cathedral was undergoing renovation during the time of my visit.
Front Facade
Side Facade.
Most parts of the building have intricate details and ornate sculptures.
There are five bronze doorways.
And the doors are that elaborate.
The inside is expansive but rather dark. There are three altars and 52 very tall pillars.
To think that all these were built during a time when there were no cranes or machinery is simply mind boggling.
The 52 pillars are to mark the 52 weeks of a year.
The walls are adorned with stained glass windows of varying designs and there are more statues in this building than any other in the world, 3159 in total. 2245 of these statues are on the exterior.
A statue of St Bartholomew with his skin thrown over his shoulder like a cloak can be seen on the right of this picture. I could spend half a day admiring every single part of the structure here but unfortunately I did not have the liberty of time.
We also visited the archaeological area on the lower ground level. The Egyptian mummies that used to be on display have been removed. This archaeological area is not very impressive and it's something you can skip if you are here.
Included in our pass is access to the roof of the cathedral. You either take the elevator or climb 150 winding steps. To save 4 Euros, we chose to climb.
The Gorgeous View From The Roof Of Gothic Duomo
The Gorgeous View From The Roof Of Gothic Duomo
The extra fee and the climb were well worth it as we got to see the spires, the statues on the tips of the spires and the fanciful gargoyles. And of course, the gorgeous views of the city of Milan.
All in there are 135 spires and 96 gargoyles.
Looking down at the lower level of the duomo roof.
Overlooking Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Overlooking Duomo Museum
This is the topmost part of the roof.
Duomo Museum
Our pass include entry into the museum, located just adjacent to the duomo.
This museum features mostly statues, paintings, ornaments and stained glass.
Tour Finale
Our pass came with complimentary coffee in the museum restaurant.
A small cup of cafe macchiato marked the end of our self tour around one of the most fascinating cathedral I've ever seen.
Purchasing Duomo Pass
It is advisable for visitors who wish to visit the cathedral to purchase the pass online as the queue can swell to several hundreds and on a hot summer day, you can imagine how it'll feel.
I paid 11 Euros pp for Package B pass which include entry into the cathedral, the rooftop, the museum and the archaeological area.
Piazza del Duomo (Milan City Square)
Gothic Duomo is located in the main square (Piazza del Duomo) which is right in the centre of Milan City. There are lots of activities one can do here as many historic buildings are in the vicinity. There is also a great shopping arcade with many restaurants and cafeterias around it.
Victtorio Emanuele II Statue in Piazza del Duomo
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