Duomo Milan Facts and Figures
How long, how high, how many, how much — every number the Veneranda Fabbrica publishes about its own building, in one place. Where two official sources disagree, both are shown and neither is quietly picked.
The measurements
| Dimension | Figure |
|---|---|
| Length | 157 m |
| Height to the tip of the Main Spire | 108.5 m |
| Terraces, first level | about 30 m above the square |
| Terraces, second level | 45 m |
| Central terrace area | about 1,530 m² — the same footprint as the nave below |
| Steps on the stair route | 251 |
The decoration, counted
| What | How many |
|---|---|
| Spires on the roof | 135, most of them about 17 m tall |
| Statues | more than 3,400 |
| Gargoyles | 150 |
| Giants | 96 |
| Corbels carrying statues | 410 |
| Stained-glass windows | 55 |
The Main Spire was built between 1765 and 1770 under the architect Francesco Croce, and it is the one that carries the figure everything else is measured against.
The Madonnina in numbers
The gilded statue of the Virgin on the Main Spire is 4.16 metres tall and made of 33 embossed and gilded copper sheets. It was raised at the end of 1774 and has stood 108.5 m above Milan ever since. You cannot get close to it on the terraces. The full-size replica in the Duomo Museum is the only way to see it at eye level, and that museum is already inside the €10 ticket.
The dates that matter
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 378 | The Baptistery of San Giovanni alle Fonti is built |
| 387 | Ambrose baptises Augustine in it |
| 1386 | Construction of the cathedral begins |
| 1387 | The Fabbrica is founded and given the Candoglia quarry |
| 1418 | The high altar is consecrated |
| 1774 | The Madonnina goes up |
| 1813 | The facade is completed |
| 1965 | The last bronze door is hung |
What your ticket opens
| Ticket | Full price | Roof? |
|---|---|---|
| Duomo + Museum + San Gottardo | €10.00 | No |
| Duomo, Wednesdays only | €8.00 | No |
| Terraces by stairs | €16.00 | Yes |
| Terraces by lift | €18.00 | Yes |
| Combo Stairs | €22.00 | Yes |
| Combo Lift | €26.00 | Yes |
| Culture Pass | €15.00 | No |
One reduced rate is worth flagging: the Fabbrica's printed leaflet and its own website give different figures for the Culture Pass concession. The full price is €15.00 on both, so that is the figure carried here and no reduced figure is quoted for that ticket. Check it at the counter.
The rules that surprise people
- The lift reaches the first level only. The second level is stairs, and so is the descent.
- There are no toilets on the terraces, in the cathedral, or at the Piazza Duomo 14/A ticket office.
- Children under 12 may not go up on the roof without an adult of at least 18.
- The Duomo Museum and San Gottardo close on Wednesdays, which is why the cathedral ticket drops to €8 that day.
- A cathedral ticket bought at the counter is non-refundable, and has to be validated on the way out.
What Milan's UNESCO listing actually covers
Milan has one property on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is the Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, inscribed in 1980. That is a different building, 1.5 km west of the cathedral. It is exactly why so many tours here pair the two: a duomo rooftop tour milan that includes both buys you two separate reservations.
The building's story is on history. What to find inside is on what to see. The fares are compared on Duomo Milan Tours.