The Milan Duomo, because the actual name of this church is Basilica cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria Nascente, and frankly, that’s just too complex for us non Italian speakers.
Construction began on this magnificent house of worship in 1386, but wasn’t actually completed until 1965. That’s 570 years of construction friends! 570 years spanning 6 centuries! It’s the largest church in Italy. Technically, the larger St. Peter’s basilica in Rome actually lies in Vatican City which is a separate Country/State/Situation.
Normally I always recommend buying tickets in advance to skip the line, but in the case of the Milan Cathedral a small wait in line outside isn’t too bad. There is so much detail in the Candoglia marble design you will have plenty to observe while in line.
Inside you will find sculptures, stained glass, and paintings. Don’t forget to look at the floors in Italy. The mosaic tiles are always beautiful and interesting. When in Europe, always look at the ceilings, in this case you will find beautifully detailed masonry. My favorite part of the Duomo in Milan is the roof. The spires are incredible! I have never seen anything like it before.
For €15 you can explore the church and climb the 919 stairs to the roof, which you absolutely cannot miss out on! You will also gain admission to the archeological area beneath the church and Duomo museum. It’s open every day from 9am to 7pm.
Note: the Duomo Museum is closed on Wednesdays.
For an additional €5 you can “upgrade” to get a lift pass to the roof, but honestly it looked like a horrifying experience to me and I wouldn’t try it. I will stick to the stairs in this case.
Also, I use the Rick Steves app a ton for my European Adventures. The app is free to download and Rick does audio tours of all of the major sites, so I never have to pay for an audio guide. It’s seriously the BEST!
If you see only one thing in the city of Milan, Italy, let it be this Cathedral!
