Gothic Duomo   

There is no better place to begin a tour of Milan than at its spiritual hub, the Duomo, described by Mark Twain as "A poem in marble". Situated at the very heart of Milan, the Duomo is one of the largest gothic churches in the world, 12 thousand square meters large it can hold one and a half football fields.

The Duomo was begun in 1386 but not given its finishing touches until 1813. Since it took almost five centuries before completion, the most beautiful Gothic cathedral in the world gathers admirable different styles: Gothic, Renaissance and Neoclassical. The building most starling feature is the extraordinary roof, with its 135 spires, gargoyles and innumerable marble statues.

"The Madonnina" a beautiful gilded statue, 4 meters tall, graces the top of the Duomo's highest pinnacle. The view from the top is spectacular; on a clear day the view stretches as far as the Alps.

Inside, the church is simple, majestic and grand. Five great aisles stretch from the entrance to the altar, enormous stone pillars dominates the nave, which is big enough to accommodate 40,000 worshippers.

In the apse three large and intricate stained-glass windows shed a soft half-light over the area behind the altar.

On the right of the altar a small stairway leads to the subterranean, where every morning, (excepted Sunday) ten canons of the cathedral officiate at Mass in honor of St. Charles Borromeo in the astonishing, private little church, which preserves his body. The church is open only half an hour, the time of the Mass, but it is an enchanted place. One of the treasures of Milan.