Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano)

The Duomo is the symbol of Milan and the natural starting point for any visit. Construction began in 1386 under Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo, and the building went on for almost six centuries: the final portal was inaugurated only in 1965. The result is one of the largest churches in the world, about 158 metres long and 92 metres wide, built from pale pink-veined Candoglia marble and topped by a forest of pinnacles and statues. The highest spire, raised in 1762, carries the gilded copper Madonnina, the city's best-loved figure, about 108 metres above the square.

Inside, the scale is the first thing you notice. Huge pillars divide five aisles, and the stained-glass windows, some of them medieval, throw coloured light across the floor on sunny afternoons. Look for the statue of the flayed Saint Bartholomew, carrying his own skin over his shoulder, and the red light high above the apse that marks the place where a nail said to come from the Cross is kept. Beneath the square, the archaeological area shows the remains of the early Christian baptistery where Saint Ambrose is believed to have baptised Augustine.

For most visitors the highlight is the roof. Walkways lead between the flying buttresses and spires, close enough to study the carved figures, and from the top you look across the city towards the modern towers of Porta Nuova and, on clear days, the Alps. The terraces can be reached by lift or on foot up the stairs, with separate tickets for each; the lift ticket costs more but saves a long climb. The Duomo Museum in the Palazzo Reale next door holds original statues, stained glass and models removed from the building over the centuries.

Buy tickets online in advance, especially at weekends and in summer, as queues for the security check and ticket office can be long. Shoulders and knees should be covered to enter the cathedral, and there are security checks at the entrances. Early morning is the calmest time; late afternoon gives the best light on the terraces. Allow an hour for the interior and another hour for the roof.

The cathedral stands on Piazza del Duomo, served by the Duomo stop on metro lines M1 and M3. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II opens off the north side of the square, the Palazzo Reale and the Museo del Novecento are on its southern edge, and La Scala is a five-minute walk away.