Photo by sergio_pulp. If you are planning a visit to Milan, you will certainly have planned a walk in Piazza Duomo, in the shadow of the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commonly known as the Duomo of Milan . It is the main symbol of Milan, as well as one of the most visited attractions in the city. Here is some information on how to reach it, the cost of the ticket and how to visit it.
Timetables and prices
- Hours: every day 8: 00-19: 00, last ticket at 18:00
- Best time to avoid queues : the first opening hour
- Free : under 6 years and disabled people with companion. However, you must have a free ticket
Single ticket prices
Duomo Area Full Reduced
(6-11 years) Cathedral € 3.00 € 2.00
Archaeological Area can only be visited with pass
(cumulative ticket) can only be visited with pass
(combined ticket)
Terraces € 23.00 in lift with Fast Track
€ 14.00 by lift
€ 10.00 ascent on foot € 12.00 by lift with Fast Track
€ 7.00 by lift
€ 5.00 ascent on foot
Scurolo di San Carlo Free Free
Duomo Museum and Church of San Gottardo € 3.00 without exhibition
€ 6.00 with exhibition € 1.00 without exhibition
€ 3.00 with exhibition
Cumulative ticket prices (Pass)
Ticket type What is included Full Reduced (under 26) Culture Pass Cathedral
Scurolo of San Carlo
Archaeological Area
Museum of the Duomo
Church of San Gottardo
Exhibitions € 8.00 € 4.00 **
Duomo Pass Lift Cathedral
Scurolo of San Carlo
Archaeological Area
Museo del Duomo
Church of San Gottardo
Terraces by lift
Exhibitions € 17.00 € 9.00
Duomo Pass Stairs Cathedral
Scurolo di San Carlo
Archaeological Area
Duomo Museum
Church of San Gottardo
Terraces on foot € 13.00 € 7.00
Fast Track Pass Cathedral
Archaeological Area
Duomo Museum
Church of San Gottardo
Terraces by lift (fast track)
Exhibitions € 25.00 € 13.00
Tours, guided visits and online tickets
What to see and how to visit the Milan Cathedral
What immediately attracts attention and grandeur del Duomo, the second largest church in Italy, immediately after St. Peter’s Basilica . The height of this building, supported by the Gothic style, is the basis of the enormous charm it exerts on thousands of tourists every day. So, before setting out to enter the Cathedral, it is good to admire the outside, from below and from different angles, in order to better grasp the beauty of what alone is a work of art: the facade of the Duomo is the work of Pellegrino Tibaldi and dates back to 1580. Among the various architects and specialists who worked there, Leonardo da Vinci and Donato Bramante should be remembered .
Once the visit to the “lower” exterior is finished, you can enter the Cathedral, which has a plan in the shape of a Latin cross: it has a pedestrian cross with five naves, and a transept with three. The large windows through which the light filters inside the Duomo are the first work of art that catches the eye once you enter: among these there is also the coat of arms of Gian Galeazzo Visconti. Once you have visited the interior of the Cathedral, it is up to you to decide whether or not to access one of the paid areas and exhibitions.
Terraces of the Duomo
Of 800 square meters, access to this area can be done either by lift or on foot. The line to access the lift is almost behind the Duomo, while the line for the stairs is clearly visible on the left side of the structure.
From the terrace of the Duomo, in addition to the marvelous spiers and other structural features, you can admire the Cadorna skyscraper, the Sfornisco Castle, the Branca Tower, the Velasca Tower, the Porta Garibaldi towers, the Pirelonne, the Breda tower, the new Palazzo of Lombardy and all of Milan.
- Hours: every day 9: 00-19: 00, last ticket at 18:00
- Ticket price: € 10.00 with ascent on foot (reduced € 5.00) – € 14.00 with ascent by elevator (reduced € 7.00) – € 23.00 with lift and fast track (€ 12.00 reduced )
- Recommended cards, tickets and tours: Milan Cathedral: ticket for the terraces only (no access to the church)
Scurolo di S.Carlo
Photo by Carlo Dell’Orto. The Scurolo (so called from the dialectal term darkeu, that is, a small church or underground chapel, an environment usually devoid of light, in fact dark) is located under the presbytery of the Cathedral, next to the Crypt (iemale chapel). It was designed in 1606 by Francesco Maria Richini, commissioned by Cardinal Federico Borromeo; it appears already sufficiently completed and decorated in time for the canonization of the saint (November 1, 1610), thus constituting the homage of the Milanese and their archbishops to St. Charles.
The small room with an octagonal plan, with alternately unequal sides, originally surmounted by a large skylight: the Scurolo and preceded by a classical pseudo-pronaos which at the same time divides it from the iemale chapel. The walls are decorated, below, with bases in onyx-walnut, with marble mirrors usual in the Milanese Baroque and with large squares of red gold brocade, with the Borromeo coat of arms and with the Humilitas family motto.
Heart of Scurolo and the crystal and silver urn designed by Cerano, which holds the body of St. Charles . The face of the saint is covered with a mask, also in silver, commissioned by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini during his episcopal ministry as Archbishop of Milan (1954 – 1963).
- Hours: from Monday to Friday, from 11:00 to 17:30, on Saturday from 11:00 to 17:00 and on Sunday from 13:30 to 15:30
- Ticket cost: Free
Archaeological Area
Open to the public since 2009, the area preserves the monumental remains of the large episcopal complex of Milan, once erected there, where today there is the Duomo.
- Hours: every day 9: 00-19: 00, last ticket at 18: 00
- Ticket price: free for the Baptistery of S. Stefano (entrance from the north lift) – for the Baptistery of S. Giovanni alle Fonti access allowed only with “Culture Pass” or “DuomoPass”
Grande Museo del Duomo and Church of S.Gottardo in Corte
Photo by 23vita. The Museum was inaugurated in 1953, in order to collect the material not in place on the Duomo, linked to its history and its construction. The presence of numerous artifacts required much more space and, for this reason, in the 1960s the museum was enlarged and reopened with the addition of ten other rooms, some of which are of great architectural prestige.
The Church of San Gottardo in Corte, located in Via Pecorari 2, is part of the tour itinerary of the Grande Museo del Duomo, and is characterized by the “bell tower of the hours” on which the first public clock in the city was installed: its presence gave its name to the whole surrounding area, called “Contrada delle Ore”.
Inside the church is the sepulchral monument of the lord of Milan Azzone Visconti.
- Hours: every day 10: 00-18: 00, closed on Wednesday. Last ticket at 17:00
- Ticket cost: € 3.00 (reduced € 1.00) – € 6.00 with exhibition (€ 3.00 reduced)
S. Maria Annunciata in Camposanto
The name “Camposanto” is due to the initial role of the structure, that is to say that of a cemetery. For this reason, the Veneranda Fabbrica began, in 1395, the construction of a cemetery, which involved the construction of a portico resting on the apsidal pillars of the Cathedral, where, up to that moment, the accommodation for the construction workers had been located. .
The name “Santa Maria” instead, is due to a large bequest made by a devotee of Maria Santissima, for the construction or in the Cathedral or in the Camposanto, of a chapel with the right of burial for himself and his heirs. Finally, the toponym “Annunciata” owes its origins to a miracle: a marvelous bas-relief depicting a scene of the Annunciation had been placed under the arcades of Camposanto, waiting to be placed inside the Cathedral. One day a sick person stopped to pray in front of the effigy and obtained instant healing, prompting the Veneranda Fabbrica to give her a prominent place inside the building under construction, later dedicated to S. Maria Annunciata.
In February 1661, the Camposanto lost its function as a cemetery, to become the church where the Fabbriceri attended the festive Holy Mass.
- Hours: Monday to Friday 12: 30-14: 00
- Ticket cost: Free
Baptistery of S. Stefano
Access reserved for men only, the baptistery was the place where, in 387, Ambrose baptized Agostino d’Ippona. The remains were discovered between 1961-62, at a level lower than the floor of the Cathedral of about 3.8 meters, during the excavations for the construction of the underground. Inside the octagonal basin, located at a level of 4.50 meters above the floor, traces of a marble coating and a water pipe were found.
Outside the Milan Cathedral, towards the main entrance, there are the boundaries of the ancient baptistery, which can be accessed from inside the cathedral itself.
- Hours: every day 9:00 – 18:00, entrance from the north lift
- Ticket cost: Free
Where is it and how to get there
- On foot : the Duomo is located in the historic center of Milan, easily reachable on foot if you are staying in the center. You could reach it through a pleasant walk, taking the opportunity to take a look at the windows of the many shops – Get directions
- By car : it is not possible to reach the Duomo directly by car, you have to park towards Piazza Fontana and proceed on foot for about 400 meters. Please note that the area is limited to traffic, it is therefore advisable to prefer public transport for getting around.
- By tram : the lines that reach Piazza Duomo are 15 and 23, Piazza Fontana stop, 2 and 14, via Torino stop, 16, 24 and 27, via Mazzini stop
- By metro : The Duomo stop is served by the red (M1) and yellow (M3) lines.
Useful tips for visiting the attraction
- Get up early : the ideal would be to reach the entrance at least half an hour before opening time
- Beware of restrictions : to access the Cathedral you have to undergo some security checks, so it is better to leave metal objects at home. It is not possible to enter the cathedral with helmets, glass objects and suitcases. It is not recommended to carry bulky bags inside the cathedral
- Pay attention to the times : the access times to the Duomo or to the museums can vary easily, and therefore it is advisable to always keep an eye on the official website, in order to avoid running into nasty surprises
- Skip-the-line ticket : we have already said it, but it is important to reiterate it, it is absolutely worth paying a small surcharge for the skip-the-line ticket Duomo + terraces, considering that the time spent in the queue can reach 1-2 hours
- Minimum time : we recommend that you consider a minimum of 2 hours for the visit
Historical notes, curiosities and practical info: what to know in brief
The construction of the Duomo of Milan began in 1386 and was dedicated to Maria Nascente, at the behest of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, moved by a twofold aim: to renovate the sites of worship, thanks to an imposing building plan, and to celebrate the Visconti lordship, through the enormous dimensions of the Cathedral. Made of white marble, the structure has a length of 157 meters, and extends for 11,700 square meters, while the main spire reaches a height of 108.5 meters. On the top of the latter is placed in October 1774 the golden statue of the Madonnina , 4.16 meters high, the work of the sculptor Giuseppe Perego.
The Milan Cathedral houses a series of important masterpieces, some of which are truly unmissable: in the left transept, the Trivulziano candelabrum, which due to its shape is called “tree”; in the left aisle, the baptistery inserted in the sixteenth century by Pellegrino Tibaldi; the stained glass windows, the oldest of which date back to the 15th century; the statue of St. Bartholomew flayed, in the southern arm of the transept.
The monumental complex is placed under the watchful eye of the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano, the historic body responsible for the conservation and enhancement of the Cathedral. Born in 1387, at the behest of the then Duke of the city Gian Galeazzo Visconti, for the design and construction of the monument, the institution has been working since then: for the conservation and architectural and artistic restoration of the Duomo, for the conservation activity and service to liturgical activity and for the enhancement and promotion of the heritage of art, culture and history that the Cathedral preserves and represents.
