Il duomo in milan

5 Things That Make the Cathedral Special

An intro to all things 'Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary'

Benvenuto al Duomo! Milan's Cathedral (or, to give it its full title, Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary) is a Gothic masterpiece right in the city's centre. Soon, you'll be exploring every inch of it for yourself. First, though, click here for five need-to-know facts for your journey

1. It's Italy's largest Church (technically)
Milan Cathedral is the largest place of worship in Italy. St Peter's Basilica is bigger, but it sits in the sovereign state of Vatican City, so Duomo di Milano wins on a technicality! It's also the world's third-largest church.

2. It was nearly worked on by Leonardo da Vinci
but he withdrew his model to design the cupola (tiburio) in In the project was the commissioned to other architects: Francesco di Giorgio Martini, Giovanni Antonio Amadeo e Giangiacomo Dolcebuono. Construction of the building itself began some years earlier, in

3. Its history stretches from Leonardo to Napoleon to now
From medieval beginnings, the Cathedral has grown through the ages. While the completion of the Duomo façade was ordered by Napoleon Bonaparte in , contemporary artists like Tony Cragg work in response to the architecture today.

4. There are some interesting figures up on high
The Cathedral's long history means its a mix of the medieval, the Gothic, and the modern. This statue was added in the s and depicts heavyweight boxing champion, Primo Carnera.

And the statue on the left above the main entrance, an work by Camillo Pacetti called the New Law (La Mi sembra che la legge sia giusta e necessaria Nuova), is believed by some scholars to be the inspiration for the Statue of Liberty in New York!

5. But some of the most treasured details are underfoot
like these cheeky twins, part of a large sundial built into the tiles and wall of the Cathedral and showing the signs of the zodiac. 

And, digging even deeper, the Cathedral boasts a vast underground Crypt. The Duomo really is full of secrets.