Stunning Facts about Milan Cathedral Architecture

Going all the way to Milan to watch a football match and not seeing the Cathedral in Milan would be a big miss! Of course both are not comparable on any scale! Nevertheless these stunning facts about Milan Cathedral architecture will convince you to make a visit there.

Stunning Facts about Milan Cathedral Architecture

You need at least 3 hours to appreciate the Cathedral completely. Divide your time touring exteriors, interiors and roof of the Milan cathedral. I have highlighted the amazing facts of Milan Cathedral’s Rooftop tour separately. This one is dedicated only to the stunning facts of Milan Cathedral exteriors.

There are several guided tours of Milan cathedral which will help you understand and admire this iconic cathedral better.
Stunning facts about Milan Cathedral

Milan Cathedral is 5th Largest

Did you know the Cathedral of Milan is the 5th largest one in world? Yes! It ranks after the St. Peter’s Basilica of Vatican, Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil, Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York and Seville’s Cathedral in Spain. It is hard to imagine the church has a capacity for a congregation of 40,000. The height of Milan Cathedral is 108.5m.

Statues on Facade

Facade of Milan Cathedral

The sheer size of the facade stunned me to silence! You need to stand at a distance from the cathedral and just gaze at the whole frame of the facade, this sight charms you beyond words!

Best time to see the cathedral of Milan would be evening when sun is bidding farewell to the day. The facade seems bathed in a shade of pink which is hard to describe. Milan cathedral is made of bricks and the facade is made of marble. It took 7 years to make just this facade (1805 – 1812).

Facade
To me it looked like a gigantic cardboard cut vertical structure. Strong and mighty, the monument was undamaged during the WW1, in spite of bombings nearby. The entire structure of the Duomo is behind the facade. The sculpted stories, the frame work of the doors, the details in them… all were so fascinating; I could stand hours there if only I had the time.

Doors of Milan Cathedral

Milan Cathedral has 5 impressive bronze doors which open to the cathedral square. These bronze doors are made between the years 1896 and 1965. Each of the doors has many figures and characters carved depicting the stories in Bible and the history of the church. Central door is the largest among all five bronze doors. It weighs 37 tons, and depicts the life of Virgin Mary.

Bronze door of Milan Cathedral

Bronze door of Milan Cathedral

6 Centuries to build Milan Cathedral

The work for this church was commissioned in 1386 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, it was finally completed in 1965. The last bronze door was inaugurated on 6th January 1965. Centuries of work by thousands of workers, and what a marvel they created!

More and more additions and modifications are being made to the cathedral. The latest one is a new LED lighting system in 2015.

Statue on Facade of Milan Cathedral

Lady Liberty in Facade of Milan Cathedral

Did you know the inspiration for Statue of Liberty came from this statue of Lady Liberty in the façade of Milan Cathedral? Yes! She was sculpted in 1810 by Camillo Pacetti. Before you walk into the cathedral through the main entrance, look up to see the sculpture of this beautiful Lady holding a torch in her right hand. Similarity doesn’t end there. Both are wearing a crown and tunic.

Difference is what they are holding in their left hand. Statue of Liberty in New York has a book with the American Independence day’s date on it. Lady Liberty in Milan Cathedral holds a cross.

lady liberty milan cathedral

Milan Cathedral Interior Architecture

As I walked into the Duomo, I felt like I was walking into a different era – a different world in a different era. It was dark inside, artificial lights provided here and there and natural light filtering in through the glass panes. Slowly my eyes got adjusted to the dim lighting and I started to discover the wonders inside.

Stained glass window Milan Duomo
Huge pillars on either side, it was difficult to decide which of the dimensions were more impressive, the diameter or the height of the pillars. There were 52 of them. The ceiling was so high, ambulatory windows on either side had stained glass.

Each glass pane seemed to tell a story. These are something so unique and work in them so rare. If you are ever there check out the fifth in the right hand aisle which is the oldest and dates to 1470-75 and the newest one the seventh one which dates to 1988. The contrast is so beautiful.

Interior Milan Duomo

And finally, The Holy Nail Of The Cross! In the vault above the choir, a red light marked the location of the niche where a nail from Christ’s cross has been kept. It is believed to be there since 1461. It is shown to the public every 14th September.

The Bishop of Milan is raised to the level of the niche to bring down the nail in a kind of decorated balcony, drawn by invisible pulleys. Many people visit in September to take part in the holy ceremony. I was there on April 20th; Sept 14 was a long time away.

The Holy Nail Of The Cross Milan Duomo Italy

Piazza del Duomo Milan

Piazza del Duomo is the Milan Duomo’s surrounding plaza. Right from Roman era this central square was the heart of Milan. During Middle Ages several churches mushroomed around this main cathedral. But after completion of the construction of the main cathedral of Milan all churches were brought down to make space for this grand piazza. After all a cathedral as grand as this required an impressive piazza!

Today it is the hub for all kinds of celebrations and festivals in the city.
piazza del duomo view from roof top milan cathedral

The equestrian statue of Vittorio Emanuele II in the center of this Piazza, it was put up in 1876. This was to honor him as he became the first king of Italy in 1861. The pedestal depicts the troops he led to battle. On either side the statue is flanked by large lions.

Vittorio Emanuele II Milan

piazza del duomo milan

Historical Events in Milan Cathedral

  • Leonardo da Vinci demonstrated how to lift and draw great weights by means of levers, recognized today as first lift, in Milan Cathedral.
  • Napoleon was crowned as king of Italy in Milan Cathedral in 1805.

Opening Hours and Tickets to Milan Duomo

The cathedral is open to public from 8AM to 7PM.

Cheapest ticket to Cathedral costs €3.50 for adults and €2.50 for children between 6 to 12yrs. This ticket includes visit to Museum too.

You can get complete information for various ticket plans that includes or excludes elevator charges, entry to Baptistry here – Duomo Milan

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