Milan Cathedral represents the true pride of all Italians, but its beauty lies not so much in the scale of its scope as in the smallest details. It is these nuances that are the real decoration of the building, made in the Gothic style. One has only to look at the numerous faces, biblical motives, sculptural compositions, and you begin to understand the depth of elaboration of each line, as well as the reasons for such a long construction and decoration.
Other names for Milan Cathedral
The basilica is the most popular attraction in the city, so the current name appears more in excursion programs. In fact, it is a symbol of Milan, which is why it was nicknamed Duomo di Milano. Residents of Italy prefer to call their sanctuary Duomo, which translates as "cathedral".
The church also has an official name in honor of the Virgin Mary, the patroness of the city. It sounds Santa Maria Nachente. On the roof of the cathedral there is a statue of the Saint Madonna, which can be seen from different points of Milan.
General characteristics of the basilica
The architectural monument is located in the central part of Milan. The square in front of the Milan Cathedral is called the Cathedral, from here a stunning view of the structure with many spiers opens up. Despite the combination of styles, the Gothic is overwhelming, while the entire cathedral is made of white marble, which is almost never found in other similar buildings in Europe.
The massive church was built over 570 years, but now it can accommodate about 40,000 people. The cathedral is 158 m long and 92 m wide. The highest spire rises to the sky at a distance of 106 m. And, although the size of the facades is impressive, it is much more interesting how many sculptures were created to decorate them. The number of statues is about 3400 units, and there are even more stucco decorations.
Historic landmarks of the Duomo
History has donated a few medieval temples, because most of them were destroyed over the following centuries. Milan Cathedral is one of the representatives of that century, although it is difficult to say from the architecture. The basilica is considered a real long-term construction, since the foundation for it began to be laid back in 1386.
Before the initial stage of construction, other sanctuaries stood on the site of the future basilica, replacing each other as the territory was conquered by different peoples. Among the predecessors are known:
- the temple of the Celts;
- Roman temple of the goddess Minerva;
- Church of Santa Takla;
- church of Santa Maria Maggiore.
During the reign of Duke Gian Galeazzo Visconti, it was decided to create a new creation in the Gothic style, since nothing like this in this part of Europe had yet existed. The first architect was Simone de Orsenigo, but he barely coped with the task entrusted to him. Several times the creators of the project changed one after another: the Germans were appointed, then the French, then they returned to the Italians. By 1417 the main altar was ready, which was consecrated even before the complete structure of the temple was erected.
In 1470 Juniforte Sopari was given a significant post for the construction of the cathedral. To bring uniqueness to the structure, the architect often turned to Donato Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci for advice. As a result, it was decided to dilute the strict Gothic with Renaissance elements that were in vogue at that time. It was only a hundred years later, in 1572, that Milan Cathedral was opened, although it was still not fully decorated. From the descriptions of historical events it is known that in 1769 the highest spire was installed, and a gilded statue of the Madonna with a height of 4 m appeared.
During the reign of Napoleon, Carlo Amati and Juseppe Zanoya were appointed architects, who worked on the design of the facade overlooking Cathedral Square. The new craftsmen followed the general idea of the main project, resulting in over a hundred marble spiers. These "needles" resembled an outlandish forest of stone, which is very akin to the flaming Gothic. Their works became the final stage in the creation of the cathedral. True, some of the decorations were introduced later.
Many people wonder how many years it took to build the Milan Cathedral, taking into account all the decorating work, because the abundance of details confirms the laboriousness of the process. The total number of years was 579. Few structures can boast such a serious and long-term approach to creating a unique piece of art.
The architecture of the famous cathedral
Duomo is able to surprise every tourist with its unusual performance. You can spend hours looking at its facades with thousands of sculptures and entire compositions from the Bible, which are so skillfully made that each hero seems to be saturated with life. It is very difficult to study all the decorations of the cathedral, since many of them are located high, but the pictures will help to better see the external design. On one of the walls, a place is allocated for the names of the city's archbishops, the list of which has been kept for a very long time. However, there is still room for new records for future church representatives.
Many surprises are hidden inside the Milan Cathedral. Firstly, there is an unusual attraction here - the nail with which Jesus was crucified. During the service in honor of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Lord, a cloud with a nail descends over the altar to give the event more symbolism.
We advise you to read about the Cologne Cathedral.
Secondly, the temple uses an Egyptian bathtub dating back to the 4th century as a font. Also of great importance are the statue of St. Bartholomew and the mausoleum of Gian Giacomo Medici.
Thirdly, the interior decoration is so rich and exquisite that it is simply impossible not to pay attention to it. Huge columns go far up, everywhere there is painting and stucco molding. The main beauty lies in the windows, where the stained glass windows are created in the 15th century. The photographs are not able to convey the play of color as it is seen with a personal presence inside the temple.
The design of the cathedral is such that you can walk on the roof and admire the historic center. Someone looks at the decoration with statues, someone admires the cityscapes, and someone takes various photos surrounded by filigree marble spiers.
Interesting information about the Milan temple
In Milan, there is a special decree prohibiting buildings from obstructing the statue of the Madonna. During the construction of the Pirelli skyscraper, the condition had to be neglected, but in order to circumvent the law, it was decided to install an identical statue of the patroness of the city on the roof of a modern building.
The floor in the temple is covered with marble tiles with images of the signs of the zodiac. It is believed that the sunbeam falls on the picture, the patron of which dominates at a certain period of the year. Based on the messages received, today there is some discrepancy with the real numbers, which is associated with the subsidence of the base.
There is a charge to enter Milan Cathedral, while a ticket with an elevator is almost twice as expensive. True, it is impossible to refuse the spectacle from the roof, because from there the real life of Milan opens with bustling Italians and guests of the city. Do not forget that this is not just a tourist attraction, but, above all, a religious place, where women should be with their shoulders and knees covered, T-shirts with a cutout are also prohibited.
