How To Visit The Milan Duomo Rooftop, Italy [UPDATED FOR 2024]

History:

The Milan Duomo was in fact only “completed” in 1965…looking at the impressive building, it almost seems unbelievable that it could be so new! Well, here’s the thing, building started way back in 1386 and took well over 600 years to complete! Even now work is still being carried out to finish off some sculptures and tidy up the crumbling 6 centuries old sections. Forget the cranes of the Sagrada Família that have stood for a mere 130 years! This gigantic cathedral took generation after generation to be finally built!

The streets of Milan radiate around the cathedral, but as old as it is the city itself is even older. This indicates that this site has been a place of high significance since the foundation of the roman settlement of “Mediolanum”.

The cathedral itself was commissioned by the Bishop Antonio Da Saluzzo in 1385 and this was backed by the first duke of Milan with a vision to create the worlds largest church. Gian Galeazzo even gave access to his own marble quarries and granted tax exemptions for those involved in the project. It took until 1418 to even be consecrated…and at that point construction of the nave has only just begum!

Over the years, a great number of master builders and architects were involved and given the length of the project it became a flamboyant mixture of styles and influences! Despite that and the even complex and spectacular design the end result works amazingly! There even had to be a canal system especially built just to ship the pink hue’d marble up from Lake Maggiore, the evidence of this can be seen along the “navigli.”

Scaling the magnificent duomo

It might not be the biggest in the world, but it is the fifth largest and out of that list it is the oldest! However a list that it does top is that of having the most amount of statues, 3400, on one building. Walking amongst this forest of spires and sculptures really is like stepping into another world.

As soon as I knew our new route would be taking us to Milan then visiting the Duomo became something that was top of the list. I have to admit that other than this and the San Siro I had little knowledge of this city as it wasn’t somewhere that was otherwise on my radar. So heading to this magnificent building seemed like a great way to start our visit and get to grips with the geography of this new city.

Milan, it turns out, is absolutely huge and this gigantic duomo allows views for miles across all its sprawling majesty. We chose the cheaper option of ascending the rooftop via the steps, like many churches the claustrophobic and humid staircase wound tightly up what seemed like an endless amount of steps.

On to the first platform and already we are at a dizzying height, but unlike many other church tops we have visited this isn’t a tight and tiny viewing platform, but the actual roof. Up here you can skip between the marble roof tiles and walk along the carved guttering. Ducking down below archways and standing face to face with intricate statues and puzzlingly detailed spires.

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Not yet over there are more steps to come, this time teetering on the edge of the main façade, the shadows of the hundreds of spectators below cast a long but ant like shadow in the evening sun. Up here is bustling with people taking in the view, eating picnics and even sunbathing. It is quite a surreal atmosphere up here on the roof of this magnificent cathedral!

It’s quite a strange place to be, on the one hand it feels like it has been designed for this very purpose. To not only be an important centre of worship for the heart of this religious city in a passionately catholic country. But also to be a place to take in the wonder of what is around us, to see up close the artistry of this creation and to connect more closely to its very being.

And yet at the same time it still feels like we are all running around on the tiles of this sacred church! As though someone has left the door unlocked and we all just snuck up here onto the roof for a view few get to see!

I have to say, we could have spent hours up here. On a hot and sunny day there is nowhere better to take your time and enjoy the spectacular view and surroundings both near and far!

Price:

To head up to the roof you have two options!

Take the lift: 13.00 EUR

Take the stairs: 8.00 EUR

To buy tickets you first must queue up around the side of the building and purchase them at the booths, there can be quite a queue so pick your time wisely. We arrived at around 5.30 pm on a Sunday and it took around 10 mins.

Then you must walk to the other side of the church for the queue to the stairs, here you will be searched also and the queue can again get quite long!

Opening hours:

Valid from 26th June to 31st July 2015Everyday: 8.00 – 22.00. Last ticket 21.00. Last admission 21.10Valid from the 1st August to 30th September 2015Everyday: 9.00 – 21.00. Last ticket 20.00. Last admission 20.10Valid from the 1st October to 31st October 2015Everyday: 9.00 – 20.00. Last ticket 19.00. Last admission 19.10

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Have you ever visited the Duomo… or any other amazing cathedral you loved?