The Milan Cathedral is a huge Gothic cathedral and it is one of the world's largest churches. The real name of the cathedral is he Duomo di Milano. It has a dazzling white front façade and is arguably the world's most beautiful cathedrals. The Milan Cathedral is literally at the center of Milan. There are streets that circle around the cathedral and it occupies what has always been the central part of the city.
The construction of the cathedral was commissioned by the bishop Antonio da Saluzzo in 1385. Construction started in 1386 but it would go on for centuries. The Construction of the cathedral would continue until 1813. Finishing touches were applied as late as 1965. Over the years there were numerous master builders that were involved and the initial design was continuously altered to become even more spectacular.
The Milan cathedral is decorated with a huge number of sculpted statues and spires. There are more statues on this building than any other in the world. There are 3159 total statues and other sculptures. 2245 of them are on the exterior with 96 gargoyles and 135 spires. It is said that if the statues were placed on top of each other they would reach a height of about 3.3 miles.
The most famous of all the sculptures is the Madonnina. It is a copper statue of the virgin Mary covered with 3900 pieces of gold leaf. It was made in 1774 by a goldsmith Giuseppe Bini and a sculptor Giuseppe Perego. The statue is almost 14ft tall. It was placed on top of the cathedral's tallest spire. Until 1959 it marked the highest point in the city at 108.5 meters tall.
The inside of Milan's Cathedral is huge but it is rather dark. There are five large naves that are divided by 52 pillars. There is one pillar for each week of the year. The pillars support the cross vaulted ceiling. After exploring the inside of the cathdral visitors can pay a small fee to take a trip to the cathedrals roof. On the roof during a clear day you can see as far as the Alps and Apennines, the roof is said to be safe with no problems as long as you’re not afraid of heights.
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