| The Milan Cathedral is the masterpiece of Gothic architecture in Italy and the second largest cathedral in the world. Its construction began in 1386 and continued for more than three centuries, attracting artists and craftsmen from all around Europe, while Italian, French and German architects alternated in supervision of works. The front was left unfinished up to the first decade of 19th century, when Napoleon Bonaparte ordered its completion. |  |
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Inside Royal Palace, which is nearby the Cathedral, there is the exhibition of Cathedral's Museum, which illustrates the several stages of the construction and also keeps some statues, glass windows and tapestries
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The exterior of the building is decorated with 135 spires finely engraved, each surmounted by a statue, for a total of more than two thousands marble sculptures. The many-sided dome carries the highest spire, reaching 108 meters high, on whose top there is the famous golden statue of the Little Madonna, another symbol of the city of Milan. | ||
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