EN

A history of the Duomo

One institution, one quarry and nearly six centuries of building.

  • Begun about 1386
  • Fabbrica since 1387
  • Doors until 1965
See Duomo ticketsfrom €27

In short

  • Work on the Duomo probably began in 1386, and the façade doors date to as late as 1965.
  • That makes the often-quoted '600 years' a fair round figure: nearly 580 years from the probable start to the last door date.
  • No single architect built it. The Veneranda Fabbrica, founded in October 1387 at the instigation of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, ran the job and still does.
  • The present cathedral was dedicated in 1577 by Archbishop St Charles Borromeo.
Angelo Inganni's 19th-century painting of the Duomo at night, with a carriage in the snowy square
Angelo Inganni · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

The thread: one body, one stone

A single institution, the Veneranda Fabbrica, was set up soon after the start and given a single source of stone. Rulers and styles changed around them while the job went on.

Before the cathedral: 378 to 1336

378. The Baptistery of San Giovanni alle Fonti is built. Its remains, and those of the basilicas beside it, are under the square.

1336. Azzone Visconti builds San Gottardo in Corte as his palatine chapel. Its bell tower carries the city's first public clock. You visit it from the Museum.

The start: 1386 to 1418

1386. Construction probably begins. The old Baptistery is demolished and buried from around this time.

October 1387. The Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo is founded at the instigation of Gian Galeazzo Visconti.

24 October 1387. Visconti cedes the Candoglia quarry to the Fabbrica. Choosing marble over Lombard brick is the most far-reaching decision in the building's history, as the architecture page explains.

16 October 1418. Pope Martin V consecrates the high altar, 32 years in.

Relics, saints and a dedication: 1461 to 1624

20 March 1461. The Holy Nail is placed in the Duomo.

About 1562. Marco d'Agrate carves St Bartholomew Flayed, the statue that visitors still seek out inside.

1577. Archbishop St Charles Borromeo dedicates the present Duomo, nearly two centuries after the start and with no finished façade.

1606. Francesco Maria Richini designs the Scurolo, under the presbytery, for the remains of St Charles.

1624. The Nivola, the cloud-shaped lift used to reach the Holy Nail, takes its present form.

The silhouette: 1765 to 1813

1765–1770. Francesco Croce builds the Main Spire.

December 1774. The Madonnina goes up on top of it, at the highest point of the Duomo, 108.5 metres.

1807–1813. On Napoleon's initiative, around his coronation as King of Italy, new works complete the façade. After more than four centuries the building has a finished front.

The modern job: 1909 to the present

1909–1965. The façade doors are made. The last date in this range is the end point of the "600 years".

1920. Marble stops coming by water, after more than five centuries.

1938. Mascioni and Tamburini build the organ, 15,800 pipes.

1953. The Duomo Museum opens. It is re-staged in 1974 and reopens in 2013 with an installation by Guido Canali.

1986. A new altar is dedicated under Cardinal Martini.

2012. The Madonnina gets her latest gilding, with 6,750 gold sheets, and the Adopt a Spire campaign is launched.

2016. Restoration of the tiburium and dome begins.

11 November 2023. The Scurolo of St Charles reopens after restoration.

October 2026. Restoration of the 26 St Charles paintings begins, expected to take about six years and cost about €3 million.

Why it never really ended

The Fabbrica is still the body in charge, more than six centuries after its founding. It sells official tickets and writes the rules you follow at the door.

If you want the meaning of the word itself, see what a duomo is.

See it for yourself

  • Duomo di Milano: Entry Ticket + Rooftop Access

    • Cathedral
    • Rooftop

    Tiqets★ 4.6 · 13,545Free cancellation

    from €27Book

  • Duomo di Milano: Guided Tour + Rooftop Access

    • Cathedral
    • Rooftop
    • Priority entry
    • Guide

    Tiqets★ 4.3 · 64Free cancellation

    from €74Book

  • Milan: Cathedral and Duomo's Terraces Entrance Ticket

    • Cathedral
    • Rooftop
    • Audio guide

    GetYourGuide★ 4.6 · 74,221

    from €27Book

Partner prices refresh daily; the final price is the one shown at checkout.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Duomo in Milan built?
Construction probably began in 1386. The high altar was consecrated in 1418, the cathedral was dedicated in 1577, and the façade was completed in 1807–1813.
How long did it take to build the Duomo?
Nearly six centuries, depending on where you stop the clock: 1386 to the façade doors of 1909–1965. The Fabbrica has never stopped working on the building.
Who built Milan Cathedral?
Gian Galeazzo Visconti backed the project and chose Candoglia marble. The Veneranda Fabbrica, founded in 1387, organised the work through generations of architects and masons.
How old is the Duomo in Milan?
Over six centuries, counting from 1386. Under its square there are remains older still, including a baptistery built in 378.

Sources

Information checked on 4 November 2026.

  • Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, history of the Duomo
  • Duomo di Milano, Candoglia marble and quarry
  • Diocese of Milan, history of the Fabbrica and the dedication
  • Duomo di Milano, Archaeological Area
  • Duomo di Milano, news on the St Charles paintings

Independent guide: we are not the official Duomo website or the Veneranda Fabbrica.

See tickets · from €27