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108.5 m · The main spire

La Madonnina

Gilded copper, 4.16 metres tall, on the highest point of the Duomo.

  • 108.5 m up
  • 4.16 m tall
  • 33 copper plates
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In short

  • The Madonnina is the gilded statue of the Virgin Mary on top of the Duomo's Main Spire, 108.5 metres up.
  • The statue itself is 4.16 metres tall, covered with 33 copper plates.
  • It was sculpted by Giuseppe Perego, and its plates were beaten by the goldsmith Giuseppe Bini; it went up at the end of December 1774.
  • You cannot reach it: the highest point open to visitors is the Central Terrace at 45 metres.
The gilded Madonnina with her crown of stars, seen close up
Dimitris Kamaras from Athens, Greece · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The statue in numbers
Top of the Duomo 108.5 m
Height of the statue 4.16 m
Copper plates 33
Gold sheets, last gilding (2012) 6,750
Put in place Last days of December 1774

Why she stands there

The Main Spire came late. It was built between 1765 and 1770 under Francesco Croce, nearly four centuries after work on the cathedral began, and the statue followed. The Duomo is dedicated to the Nativity of Mary, so the figure on top is the one the building is named for.

Two craftsmen share the credit. Giuseppe Perego made the sculpture, and Giuseppe Bini, a goldsmith, modelled and beat the copper plates, which is why she is sheet metal when the statues below her are marble.

Where to see her

  • First terrace level, about 31 m: you see the Main Spire behind the rows of smaller spires.
  • Second level, 45 m: the Central Terrace is the closest you can get, and she is still more than 60 metres above you. Two steep stairways lead up to it, and no lift goes this far.
  • From outside the cathedral: the viewpoints around the square give you the spire against the roofline.

If she is the reason you are going up, go to the second level.

Where to see her up close

In the Duomo Museum, the Sala della Madonnina holds Perego's terracotta models and the walnut head made for the statue, and the Museum also keeps the original iron core that once held her up. The Museum is closed on Wednesdays, except for the dates listed on the hours page.

The tower at almost the same height

Torre Branca, the steel tower in Parco Sempione, lists its height as 108.60 metres, ten centimetres above the Duomo's maximum. The Madonnina is still the one Milan sings about: the song O mia bela Madunina is addressed to her.

To see it from the roof

  • Duomo di Milano: Rooftop Access

    • Rooftop

    Tiqets★ 4.4 · 3,699Free cancellation

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  • Duomo di Milano: Entry Ticket + Rooftop Access

    • Cathedral
    • Rooftop

    Tiqets★ 4.6 · 13,545Free cancellation

    from €27Book

  • Duomo di Milano: Fast Track Rooftop Access

    • Rooftop
    • Priority entry

    Tiqets★ 4.3 · 37Free cancellation

    from €35Book

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Frequently asked questions

What does Madonnina mean?
It is the Italian diminutive of Madonna, so literally 'little Madonna'. The name is affectionate: the statue is more than four metres tall.
How high is the Madonnina?
The top of the Duomo reaches 108.5 metres, and that is where she stands. The statue itself is 4.16 metres tall.
Can you go up to the Madonnina?
No. The terraces stop at 45 metres on the second level, so you look up at the Main Spire from below.
Is the Madonnina solid gold?
No. She is made of copper plates over an inner structure, then gilded. The last gilding, in 2012, used 6,750 sheets of gold.

Sources

Information checked on 4 November 2026.

  • Duomo di Milano, the Madonnina in numbers
  • Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, the Terraces
  • Museo del Duomo, Sala della Madonnina
  • Torre Branca, visitor information

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

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