Friday 6 May 2011

Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano)

Duomo di Milano

Milan Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Milano; Milanese: Domm de Milan) is the cathedral church of Milan in Lombardy, northern Italy. Dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente (Saint Mary Nascent), it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi.

The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the fourth largest cathedral in the world.

The roof is open to tourists (either by take lift or walk up on staircase), which allows many a close-up view of some spectacular sculpture that would otherwise be unappreciated. The roof of the cathedral is renowned for the forest of openwork pinnacles and spires, set upon delicate flying buttresses.

The cathedral's five broad naves, divided by 40 pillars, are reflected in the hierarchic openings of the facade. Even the transepts have aisles. The nave columns are 24.5 metres (80 ft) high, and the apsidal windows are 20.7 x 8.5 metres (68 x 28 feet). The huge building is of brick construction, faced with marble from the quarries which Gian Galeazzo Visconti donated in perpetuity to the cathedral chapter. Its maintenance and repairs are very complicated.

Specifications
Length 157 metres (515 ft)
Width 92 metres (302 ft)
Width (nave) 16.75 metres (55 ft)
Height (max) 45 metres (148 ft)
Dome height (outer) 65.5 metres (215 ft)
Spire height 106.5 metres (349 ft)
Materials Brick with Candoglia marble

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan_Cathedral#Architecture_and_art











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