The Duomo of Milan is the city’s iconic monument. Until a few years ago, the visit was free of charge, but nowadays there is a charge, except for the faithful who want to attend mass.
Milan Cathedral Tickets
Milan Duomo Tickets come in different version:
- from 30 euro Fast Track Pass all inclusive, including lift to terraces
- from 25 euros for the Cathedral, theTerraces by lift, Cathedral Museum and St Gotthard Church
- 20 euros for Cathedral, Terraces Walk, Cathedral Museum and St Gotthard Church
- from 10 euro Cathedral and museum
- from 34 euro combo including Pinacoteca Ambrosiana + Duomo, Terrazze a Piedi, Museo del Duomo, Chiesa San Gottardo, Archaeological Area
Please remember the St. Gotthard Church is closed on Wednesdays, only the Duomo ticket(s) can be purchased.
Opening hours:
Cathedral daily from 10 a.m. to 4.10 p.m.
The Cathedral Museum Thursday to Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed on Wednesdays
At a glance: what to see
- The Gothic-style façade with spires, statues and decorations: if you buy a ticket for the Terraces, you can see some of them up close
- The interior stained glass windows, created in different periods by Lombard, Italian and international artists
- The many statues and works of art inside
- In the last bay before the altar, the work Saint Ambrose Imposing Penance and Theodosius by Federico Barocci of 1603
- Above the high altar, suspended and attached to the keystone, is the Holy Nail, which tradition says is one of the four nails used for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ
- The crypt
More detailed description
The Cathedral has a surface area of 11,700 square metres, while its largest spire reaches 108.5 metres. It was on this spire that the Madonnina, a statue representing the Madonna by sculptor Giuseppe Perego, was placed in 1774.
It is built in the Lombard Gothic style, which combines the characteristics of international Gothic with some peculiarities of Lombardy, in a riot of spires, pinnacles, statues, cornices, sculptures and meticulous decoration.
The plan of the church is in the shape of a Latin cross. The terraces of the cathedral can be visited for a fee: access is by stairs or a lift and from the top there is a beautiful view of the city.
The construction of Milan Cathedral began in 1386, on sacred ground where the basilicas of Santa Tecla and Santa Maria Maggiore once stood. Strongly desired by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the Duomo was built to celebrate the lordship of the Visconti family, to provide a place of worship in the centre of the city and to pay homage to Maria Nascente.
The construction of the Duomo took centuries and, as a Milanese expression goes, is never actually finished, as maintenance and renovation of individual parts is constantly being carried out. The building is made entirely of an exclusive golden white marble from the quarries of Candoglia in the Ossola Valley.
In November, the Quadroni di San Carlo, large paintings illustrating the life of Saint Ambrose, are exhibited inside.
The Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square)
In Piazza del Duomo, the beating heart of Milan, there are many interesting buildings. On the square is the monument to Victor Emmanuel II, a bronze statue representing the first King of Italy on horseback during the Battle of San Martino. The statue was placed in the square in 1896.
Around the square we find:
- Palazzo Carminati, a pink building opposite the cathedral;
- the southern arcades, on the left, with the Torre dell’Arengario. On this side are also the Museo del Novecento and the Palazzo Reale, home to important art exhibitions;
- the northern arcades, to the right, lead to the entrance of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and, a little further on, provide access to the Rinascente, the city’s iconic shopping centre.