Visita Iglesia: Milan Cathedral with side-trip to Italy’s oldest shopping arcade

MILAN, Italy — Dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente (Nativity of St. Mary), the Milan Cathedral, also called Duomo di Milano or “Duomo,” is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan.

It took nearly six centuries to complete the Duomo, from 1386 to 1965, following a combination of Gothic and Renaissance architectural styles. 

Today, the cathedral is Italy’s biggest church, and one of the world’s largest with a capacity of 40,000.

Just across the cathedral is Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the country’s oldest active shopping center named after the Kingdom of Italy’s first king. Designed in 1861, it is built by architect Giuseppe Mengoni from 1865 to 1877. In modern times, it has been recently credited as inspiration behind Willy Wonka’s first chocolate store as seen in the 2023 film “Wonka.”

Inside Milan Cathedral

Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo

Inside Milan Cathedral

Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo

Inside Milan Cathedral

Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo

Leonardo da Vinci's commemorative sculpture including those of his apprentices unveiled in 1872 (left). The monument is in Piazza della Scala, just beside Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (right).

Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II's famous 19th-century iron-and-glass ceiling by Pevsner and Hitchcock

Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo