Milan Duomo, Milan — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Milan's Duomo is the largest church in Italy (St. Peter's is technically in Vatican City) and one of the most ambitious building projects in European history. It took nearly six centuries to complete, from the first stone in 1386 to the final details in 1965. Construction began under Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo during the rise of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, who dreamed of a cathedral that would rival anything in Europe. The Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, the institution created in 1387 to oversee the project, still exists today, maintaining and restoring the building. The exterior is covered with 3,400 statues, 135 gargoyles, and 700 decorative figures, making it one of the most densely sculpted buildings in the world. The Madonnina, a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary, stands atop the main spire at 108.5 metres. By tradition, no building in Milan was allowed to be taller until the Pirelli Tower broke the rule in 1958 (though it placed a copy of the Madonnina on its roof). The roof terraces are the cathedral's best-kept secret. You can walk across the top of the building among the spires and statues, with views stretching to the Alps on a clear day. Napoleon ordered the facade completed in 1805, and it was finished in seven years. The 52 stained glass windows inside are among the largest in the world. If you're on a Questo quest through Milan, the Duomo is impossible to ignore, and its rooftop is one of the most extraordinary walks in any European city.