Photographs and Travel Tips for the Duomo in Milan, Italy – Walking on a Roof!
I have just posted new photos of Milan, Italy on The Monica Store and on my stock photography website with PhotoShelter.
I have been to Milan, Italy many times and I always go to the Duomo (Cathedral) which is right in the middle of the city and easy to get to.
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How to get to the Duomo by Metro:
– If you arrive at the main train station (Milano Centrale) you can take the metro directly to the Duomo. The metro looks confusing but you can just buy a metro ticket for one ride and take the yellow line four stops to the Duomo (go in the direction of S. Donato and the stop you want is literally called Duomo.)
*I suggest buying a metro card from a news stand rather then a machine – Milan is a big city and you are more exposed to pickpockets while at a machine.
– You can also walk to the Duomo from the main train station – but you need a map as it can get very confusing. But, as I always say, walking is the best way to see a city. It does take a good 45 minutes to an hour, without stopping, from the train station to the Duomo.
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So… I have been to Milan many times and only just this last summer saw the Duomo without scaffolding on the front! Needless to say it is really astounding. There is so much detail, and so much to look at. It is wonderful that the Duomo is on the a grand square so you can really step back and see the enormity of the structure and appreciate the complexity of it as well.
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Quick interesting facts about the Duomo in Milan, Italy:
– Construction began in 1386 and took five centuries (that’s 500 years!) to complete.
– Carlo Buzzi was an influential architect in the mid 1600’s who reverted back to the Gothic style.
– Napoleon really pushed for the cathedral to be finished! In the early 1800s, Napoleon ordered the completion of the cathedral, where he was actually crowned the King of Italy in May 1805.
– Arches and spires were constructed and statues were finished in the early 1800s. Stained glass windows were renovated in the mid 1800s.
– The last gate was installed in 1965.
– The Duomo was completely uncovered and the scaffolding was removed in February 2009!
– The pink-white marble that makes up the Duomo, is called Candoglia marble which comes from Mergozzo, a region in northeast Italy (not far from Turin).
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Seeing the Roof of the Duomo in Milan, Italy:
– One of the main attractions for me about the Duomo is the roof because you get to climb on it! How many other Cathedral or church roofs can you walk on?
– You can climb a spiral staircase to the top for 5 euros, or take an elevator for 8 euros, open daily from 9am to 5:30pm.
– From the roof you can not only get wonderful panoramas of the city but you see more details, sculptures, and carvings in the marble. In fact, there are so many sculptures that you can’t possible see them all. There are figures carved into the spires, all the way around them and inside crevices, and it just goes on and on.
**** So whether you are in Milan for an afternoon or weekend or week, you must see the Duomo and you don’t want to miss the roof! (Little side tip – it tends to be really windy up there so, ladies, I advise pants and not a skirt).
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Click for photos of Milan, Italy on The Monica Store and on my stock photography website with PhotoShelter.
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