The Duomo di Milano is a 600‑year saga of devotion, engineering and marble. Its Gothic lacework in pale Candoglia stone became Milan’s emblem.

Key Timeline

Year	Milestone
1386	Foundation of the new cathedral on the site of earlier basilicas
15th c.	Rapid Gothic rise; rib vaults, buttresses and spires multiply
1560s–80s	Counter‑Reformation guidance under St Charles Borromeo
1774	Madonnina (gilded copper) installed atop the main spire
1805	Napoleon’s coronation as King of Italy; push to complete the façade
19th c.	Façade finalized; continual addition/repair of statues and pinnacles
20th–21st c.	War damage repairs; systematic conservation led by Veneranda Fabbrica

Materials & Patronage

Candoglia marble, ferried via canals, gives the Duomo its luminous skin.
The Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo (founded 1387) still manages works and conservation.

The Madonnina’s silhouette set a “height rule” in Milan for decades; modern towers installed replicas to keep her presence above the skyline.

The Duomo isn’t finished—it’s maintained. Centuries of craft continue, stone by stone.