Milan Cathedral

Where should we spend Christmas this year? The first country that came to mind was Italy! And thus, Christmas 2011 was the best christmas I have ever got to spend with my family. There was a lot to see in Italy, but the time was too short to see everything. Our first destination was Milan, the second most popular city in Italy. As we all know, this city is recognised worldwide as one of the world's best fashion capitals. Where to go then at Christmas? Let me tell you about my unforgettable experience at Piazza del Duomo while enjoying Christmas Eve.

Molto bello! The beautifully designed cathedral, which is the largest in Italy and the world's fourth largest cathedral, completely defines the beautiful architecture. Can you believe that this cathedral took 6 centuries to be built? It certainly was a huge challenge for the architects. The first thing that impressed me when I looked the cathedral is the "Gothic style". After some researches, I found out that the architect Carlo Buzzi decided to change the exterior of the cathedral by giving it a gothic style, as planned at the beginning.

And here is a view on the spectacular Il Duomo at night. This was art on a large scale.

Moreover, you could see the silver flash of the glittering tinsels on the christmas tree that stood there like a model adorned with jewels. A crowd of people were around it delighted with the spirit of Christmas. You could smell the snow in the air and have a warm feeling of happiness.

Another picture of the stunning christmas tree at night.

Sometimes there is a long queue outside the main entrance to the cathedral and some people head to the entrance that leads to the ascent of the 250 steps . The tickets cost 6, 50 euros. We can see the inside of the cathedral : people drop their coins in the donation box and light the candles while saying a prayer. I must admit that I loved how the candles were lined up.

Heyy! Don't forget to take a ride in Milano's sightseeing bus. It costs 22 euros for the adults and 13 euros for the children. Godetevi il viaggio! (Enjoy the ride!).

The heart of Milan is, without doubt, the Duomo di Milano! In a gothic style and made of Candoglia marble, the cathedral is 158m long, 93m wide and 5m high (in it's highest point). In my opinion, it's impossible to go past it without slowing down. The richness of the details is simply incredible!

A visit is, obviously, obligatory! It's best to go with enough time to be able to appreciate the view calmly; because there is so much to see that time definitely goes by un-noticed. Just think that it's construction lasted (amazingly) almost 500 years! There is even a plaque to record the beginning of it's construction - 1386!

Entrance to the cathedral is free, but WARNING: you have to pay to be allowed to take photos! (Aha! ). You have to go to a desk close to the church's entrance, it costs 2 euros and they give you a wrist band that shows that you paid to take photos. Ok, not a big deal! This way you can access almost the whole cathedral, including a subterranean sector whose access is slightly hidden, at the back of the place. There's even the possibility to visit the "treasure room", but you will have to pay more to get in here!

OK, so everything up until here is beautiful and marvellous, but nothing compares to the terrace! You can get up there by the stairs or the elevator, costing 7. 00 and 12. 00 euros, respectively.

I, as a young and economical person, decided to go up the stairs. Prepare your breath, because there are many (m-a-n-y and endless) steps. But ok, I guarantee that it's worth it! From the Duomo terrace you have an incredible view of the Piazza del Duomo and it's surroundings, as well as being able to see its pinnacles and statues more closely. At the highest point of the cathedral, "watching" the people of Milan, is a statue of Nossa Senhora, La Madonnina, a true symbol for the city.

Tip 1: You can find more information on the prices and opening times here:

http://www.duomomilano.it/en/section/hours--admission/04818a06-539e-45c4-bc43-edaf0414c1d5/

Tip 2: Pay attention to the clothes you're wearing! You have to have something to cover up your shoulders, because you're not allowed in the cathedral with them uncovered. Women, you can't wear a dress or skirt if you want to climb on the terrace.

You have to visit this place more than once, if possible. Because, no matter how many photographs you try to take, they will never be enough to reproduce what the eye sees in this place. Largely due to the fact that it's possible to get the whole cathedral in the shot (generally, you either get the whole place or you get the details - frustrating, in a good way). You definitely feel like a tiny ant when you're inside!

Detail of the stained-glass windows which tell stories of saints and prophets.

Backgrounds of the cathedral.

Incredible statue of San Bartolomeo carrying his own skin.

Subterranean walkway. Detail of the ceiling.

View from the terrace.

Details of the terrace.

You will most likely hear about it and see beautiful pictures of it randomly on social media before you even come to Milan: the Duomo is probably the most popular place and monument in the city, and it's understandable. Its architecture, height and massiveness make it one of the most impressive and beautiful monument in Milan.

It is located right in the middle of the city, on what is called the Piazza del Duomo (it can be translated into "Duomo square", which makes sense). It is a massive gothic Catholic cathedral, the largest in Italy and the third largest in the world. Its construction began in the fourteenth century and ended in 1965, so it took about six centuries to build the Duomo, although some may say it is still not finished because of all the renovation and maintenance it requires.

There are thousands of statues all over the façade and spires (3 400 statues and 135 spires to be precise). The statue that is on the highest point is made of gold cooper and is called La Madonnina: it is the symbol of the city of Milan, and patroness of the Milanese people. Because it is so high and inaccessible for tourists, there is of replica of the Madonnina, with the exact same height and details, that you can see when you visit the inside of the Duomo.

It’s possible to visit the Duomo: you can get on top of it by going to the terraces, inside the cathedral and even under where there is a museum about the construction of the cathedral.

To access all of these places you need to buy a ticket. There comes a tip for all Erasmus student: the full tariff ticket is €12, but if you show your Erasmus card at the ticket office you get a discount and only pay €6 to have access to the same areas. Don’t forget it!

The area that I like to visit the most is the terraces. To get there, you will have to climb about 260 steps, although it’s also possible to get there with a lift (but the ticket is more expensive). First you arrive on a roof, you get really really close to the architecture and that’s when you notice all the details, which are quite incredible.

Keep going and a few more steps later, you arrive on the terraces. From there you get a very clear view over the city of Milan, and you can even see the Alps from far away.

You also get a whole different and unusual view on the Piazza del Duomo, although there is no viewpoint facing it so you have to look at it through the fences. You can still get a pretty nice picture. When you see the piazza from there you realize all the designs that are on the floor, which you probably do not acknowledge when you're walking on it.

After spending a little bit of time enjoying the sun and the view, you might want to get down the Duomo and get inside (to get inside these two areas there is a line, so I suggest going in the morning when the wait might be shorter).

The inside is as breathtaking as we could imagine: it’s incredibly huge, high and beautiful. It’s really worth the wait.

I would really recommend taking time to visit the Duomo: it enables you to get a different view than the “usual” one from the piazza and it’s really worth it.

It’s possible to visit the Duomo every day, from 8am to 7pm, although there is no more admission after 6pm.

Milan Cathedral, better known by its Italian name, the Duomo, can be found in the Piazza del Duomo. It's one of the most beautiful cathedrals that I have seen, and it's also one of the most famous.

The name "Duomo", is very characteristic of churches in Italy; it means "house of God". Milan Cathedral's real name is "Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary" but it is more commonly known as the Duomo.

The cathedral is of a gothic style, has a height of 108. 5 metres, a length of 157 metres and a surface area of 11, 000 metres squared. It has a capacity for 40, 000! It's the third largest cathedral in the world and the largest of the gothic-style cathedrals. Having already known these figures, I was disappointed to see the main façade, as it looked very small (or I had high expectations), although the sides and the interior did not disappoint. What I loved about the façade were the finishing touches on the towers and the roof; I think it has been a very elaborate and detailed work, and, overall, gives it a very characteristic appearance.

It has a white hue, which makes it very beautiful and different, but it also depends on the lighting, because sometimes it looked a bit too yellowish or pinkish.

Source

If it's beautiful during the day, then I think it's even more so at night. The contrast between the dark sky and the light colour of the cathedral with its lighting is worth seeing. So, if you can, it's better to visit both during the day and at night. At night, there are fewer tourists and you can better enjoy the views.

The floor is in the shape of a cross, like many other cathedrals. The interior is also very beautiful. The ceiling is very high and, being such a huge cathedral, it gives you this feeling of majesty and grandiosity that is characteristic of some of the best cathedrals. The altar was extremely beautiful. There were sculptures and paintings: the sculpture that grabbed my attention most was that of Saint Bartholomew by Marco d'Agrate, not only for its beauty, but also because it reflects all the muscles and veins of man in such a pronounced way (later I found it is because they skinned this saint). I also went into a crypt (for free), that was very small and had so many people that it was a bit overwhelming, but it was worth seeing.

Upon entering the cathedral, there is a square-shaped souvenir shop but you cannot actually enter it. Instead, the shop assistants give you what you want, as if it were a newspaper kiosk. There were rosary beads, postcards, miniatures of the cathedral, necklaces, etc. and the prices weren't too high.

You can go up into the roof of the cathedral, and I believe that the ticket prcies were: 8€ to go up in the lift, or 5€ if you would prefer to take the stairs. They say that it is worth the visit, both to see the views (Milan isn't a beautiful city, but the views are good), and the fine detailing of the cathedral more closely. It has very thin towers with extremely detailed tips, that can be seen very well from there.

On the right side of the cathedral, there is a giant advertisement screen. I don't understand how they lend themselves to something like that, well in exchange for a lot of money clearly, but it's a religious building and the symbol of Milan, as well as one of the most famous cathedrals in the world. It is horrible, both aesthetically and symbolically. I hope that other cathedrals do not lend themselves to this type of marketing; although cathedrals attract many tourists, it would give them a very bad image. Instead of putting it on the cathedral, they could put the screen on a building in the square.

Something that surprised me a bit, and not pleasantly, was that you had to pay 2€ for a bracelet which would allow you to take all the photos you wanted, without flash. Between the screen and this, it seems more like a business than a cathedral. I respect that they do not let you take pictures, but to make it that it's okay for only those who pay? What will be next?

The Piazza del Duomo is very large and touristy. It was full of people - some taking photos, others playing with the pigeons. I arrived there to find two men putting their arms out to summon the pigeons so that they can pose with them... it was something quite strange. I'm not sure if perhaps they had bread in their hands? You also have to be careful because, with the area being so touristy, there are also pickpockets. And, the souvenir sellers are quite insistent. I understand that it is their job to make a sale, but they give you a lot of hassle in the process. There are also some who touch you and put their bracelets on your wrist. Don't accept the seller's roses either: they tell you that they are free, you take them, and, a moment later, they come back to take them from you if you do not give them money. I honestly don't know if this tactic works very much for them.

In the same square, lies one of the entrances to the Vittorio Emanuel II Gallery, which is full of shops.

The metro stop is called "Duomo" and you can get there on lines 1 and 3. If you take the exit that goes directly to the Duomo, you will like it because when you go up the stairs to leave the metro, the cathedral will appear little by little in front of you.

And if you are wondering how to see everything that Milan has to offer in 2 days, check out our complete guide with which planning you trip will be much easier!

The cathedral was so gorgeous up close! Going inside and taking pictures with friends was a great time for us all - although the prices around there are not ideal - i'd say the experience is worth it. 

We went twice - first, there was a peaceful protest happening in front of the Cathedral. It was inspiring and educating to witness. A local person i met told me people often protest for all kinds of reasons and chose the cathedral as the place to do it due to the amount of tourists that visit. Fun fact- the area is full of policemen on horses. yes. HORSES! Some of my classmates even took pictures with them lol. The second time we went it was a week day AND the weather wasnt ideal (which we didnt care about, but many others did) - so a little less people were there. There is a restaurant near which offers sushi in a bowl (sushi salad? not sure what they called it, but it was SO GOOD! affordable, too)

Thanks to Erasmus' programme which allowed me and my classmates to visit!