Il Duomo of Milan Italy (Chathedral)

If you like art and history and religion you can not miss the Duomo cathedral of Milan Italy, its a must sight see for the enthusiats, you can even take a tour to the top for a great city view of the city. The setting of the blue sky against the white stone is very vivid and kind to thr camera, brilliant blue Italian sky that sorry to say here the England have lacked in recent years, I wont mention why. The Duomo is located on Piazza del Duomo in the city center and is one of the largest churches in the Christian World second only to St Peter's Basilica in Rome and Seville Cathedral in Spain. This magnificent building was begun in the 14th century but was completed after 500 years. The Gothic Cathedral is striking with its size and unusual roof. 135 spires and 3,500 statues adorn the cathedral, including the symbol of Milan, the golden statue of the Madonnina. The Madonnina spire was erected in 1762 and is 108.5 m high. It was designed by Francesco Croce. Inside, the Duomo is astonishing. The nave has 5 isles, crossed by a transept. The nave is 45 meters high one of the highest in a Gothic church. The five naves are divided by 52 pillars and the remarkable stained glass windows light the cathedral from all sides. The most cherished relic of the cathedral, a nail from the Christ`s cross, is placed on a grandiose crucifix above the chancel. The ruins of the early Christian baptistery, Battistero Paleocristiano, stand to the left of the main entrance. In 387 AD, St Ambrose had baptised St Augustine at this holly place. A tour of the cathedral roof is available. It is a perfect opportunity to explore the spires and sculptures, placed upon delicate flying buttresses and to have a panoramic view of the center of Milan. Milan Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Milano; Milanese: Domm de Milan) is the cathedral church of Milan in Lombardy, northern Italy. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi. The Gothic cathedral took five centuries to complete and is the fourth-largest church in the world. In 1386, Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo began construction in a rayonnant Late Gothic style more typically French than Italian. Construction coincided with the accession to power in Milan of the archbishop's cousin Gian Galeazzo Visconti, and was meant as a reward to the noble and working classes which had been suppressed by his tyrannical Visconti predecessor Barnabò. Il Duomo è per molti il simbolo di Milano, ma per i milanesi è anche l'anima della città in quanto sorge proprio nel suo centro. I lavori di costruzione iniziarono 1386 per volere dell'arcivescovo Antonio da Saluzzo e di Gian Galeazzo Visconti, all'epoca signore della città. Sorse nell'area precedentemente occupata dalla Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore. La sua elaborazione fu assai lenta e comprese un arco di tempo lunghissimo di ben sei secoli, seppe però rimanere fedele ai principi originali dell'arte gotica. Nel 1418 venne consacrato l'altare maggiore da papa Martino V. I lavori di costruzione proseguirono sotto la direzione di vari architetti, tra cui ricordiamo anche Leonardo, e nel 1572 San Carlo riconsacrò il Duomo.