Duomo di Milano

The cathedral stands at the very heart of Milan on Piazza del Duomo, the central square from which the whole city radiates.

With its forest of pinnacles, statues and flying buttresses, the Duomo is one of the largest churches in the world and the unmistakable symbol of Milan. The highlight is climbing to the rooftop terraces, where you walk among the marble spires and, on a clear day, see all the way to the Alps.

Construction began in 1386 under Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo and the patronage of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, who imposed white Candoglia marble and the Gothic style. Completion stretched across almost six centuries; the gilded Madonnina was placed on the main spire in 1774, with final details finished only in 1965.