Duomo di Milano

Cathedral Church of Milan

The Cathedral Church of Milan is located in the northern part of Italy, in Lombardy. It is dedicated to the Nativity of Mary, as we have seen in other cathedrals of this time. The church serves as the Archdiocese of Milan, which is Europe's largest diocese. It is also the largest church in Italy (excluding the Vatican), and 3rd largest in the world. The cathedral took 600 years to complete (with "official completion" in 1965 when the last bronze door was installed. However, most parts of the cathedral had been completed in 1813). Milan Cathedral is located in the central point of the city, with the layout of city built around the cathedral, with streets radiating or circling it. At that time, it was common to have cathedrals in the center of a city, and the city built around  it.

Construction of the cathedral began in approximately 1386, at the height of Gothic architecture. The cathedral features a variety of architectural styles, as architects from many different countries brought their own styles. The church was initially designed in a Gothic style, however, many other architectural styles were gradually blended into the design of the church. Some of the styles include Neo Classic, Baroque, and Decorative Gothic, which is the main style. The many spires featured on the roof is representative of the Gothic style.

Central nave of Milan Cathedral

In 1452, work was completed on the nave and six nave arcades. However, it wasn’t until the end of the 15th century when work was started on the tiburium, or lantern tower. Artists such as DaVinci were commissioned to design the dome.

Quadroni di San Carlo

As the Catholic Reformation was taking hold in the 16th century, the building of the cathedral was influenced by it as well. The style began to mirror that which would become known as the Vatican, in Rome. One can see the influence of this in the presbytery, side altars, crypt, baptistry and floor of the cathedral. Also, the Quadroni di San Carlo, a series of paintings depicting the life of St. Charles, as well as the wooden choir are further examples of the creative influences during this phase of construction.

Construction on the cathedral continued for several centuries. The 16th century saw the beginnings of the design phase for the facade and the foundation laid. However, it wasn’t until the end of the 18th century that a design plan was finally decided upon and work was able to resume. With the completion of the facade, spires were erected and the stained glass windows installed, as well as the placement of the statue of the Madonna (designed and built by Carlo Pellicani, in 1774).

The golden statue of the Virgin Mary sits atop the highest spire of the Milan cathedral.

In the early part of the 20th century, restoration on older parts of the cathedral had begun, even as construction continued on other parts of the cathedral. A building such as this takes on a life of its own because of the complex nature of its design. We see that construction and restoration can happen side-by-side.