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Milan Cathedral

Milan Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Milano [ˈdwɔːmo di miˈlaːno]; Lombard: Domm de Milan [ˈdɔm de miˈlãː]), or Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary (Italian: Basilica cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria Nascente), is the cathedral church of Milan, Lombardy, Italy. Dedicated to the Nativity of St Mary (Santa Maria Nascente), it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Archbishop Mario Delpini.

Milan Cathedral
Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary
Basilica cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria Nascente (Italian)
Milan Cathedral from the Square
Milan Cathedral
Location in Milan
45°27′51″N 9°11′29″E / 45.46417°N 9.19139°E / 45.46417; 9.19139Coordinates: 45°27′51″N 9°11′29″E / 45.46417°N 9.19139°E / 45.46417; 9.19139
LocationVia Carlo Maria Martini, 1
20122 Milan
CountryItaly
DenominationRoman Catholic
TraditionAmbrosian Rite
WebsiteMilan Duomo
History
StatusCathedral, minor basilica
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)Simone da Orsenigo
et al.[1]
StyleGothic, Renaissance architecture
Groundbreaking1386 (original building)
Completed1965 (1965)
Specifications
Capacity40,000
Length158.6 metres (520 ft)
Width92 metres (302 ft)
Nave width16.75 metres (55.0 ft)
Height108 metres (354 ft)
Other dimensionsFacade facing West
Dome height (outer)65.6 metres (215 ft)
Number of spires135
Spire height108.5 metres (356 ft)
MaterialsBrick with Candoglia marble[2]
Administration
ArchdioceseArchdiocese of Milan
Clergy
ArchbishopMario Delpini
Laity
Director of musicClaudio Burgio[3]
Organist(s)Emanuele Carlo Vianelli
(organista titolare)
Plate celebrating the laying of the first stone in 1386.

The cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete: construction began in 1386, and the final details were completed in 1965. It is the largest church in the Italian Republic—the larger St. Peter's Basilica is in the State of Vatican City, a sovereign state—and one of the largest in the world.[4]

History

Milan's layout, with streets either radiating from the Duomo or circling it, reveals that the Duomo occupies what was the most central site in Roman Mediolanum, that of the public basilica facing the forum. The first cathedral, the "new basilica" (basilica nova) dedicated to St Thecla, was completed by 355. It seems to share, on a slightly smaller scale, the plan of the contemporaneous church recently rediscovered beneath Tower Hill in London.[5] An adjoining basilica was erected in 836. The old octagonal baptistery, the Battistero Paleocristiano, dates to 335 and still can be visited under the cathedral. When a fire damaged the cathedral and basilica in 1075, they were rebuilt as the Duomo.[6]

Construction begins

In 1386, Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo began construction of the cathedral.[7] Start of the construction coincided with the ascension to power in Milan of the archbishop's cousin Gian Galeazzo Visconti, and was meant as a reward to the noble and working classes, who had suffered under his tyrannical Visconti predecessor Barnabò. The construction of the cathedral was also dictated by very specific political choices: with the new construction site the population of Milan intended to emphasize the centrality of Milan in the eyes of Gian Galeazzo, a prominence questioned by the choice of the new lord to reside and maintain his court, like his father Galeazzo II, in Pavia and not in Milan.[8] Before actual work began, three main buildings were demolished: the palace of the Archbishop, the Ordinari Palace and the Baptistry of St. Stephen at the Spring, while the old church of Sta. Maria Maggiore was exploited as a stone quarry. Enthusiasm for the immense new building soon spread among the population, and the shrewd Gian Galeazzo, together with his cousin the archbishop, collected large donations for the work-in-progress. The construction program was strictly regulated under the "Fabbrica del Duomo", which had 300 employees led by first chief engineer Simone da Orsenigo. Orsenigo initially planned to build the cathedral from brick in Lombard Gothic style.

Visconti had ambitions to follow the newest trends in European architecture. In 1389, a French chief engineer, Nicolas de Bonaventure, was appointed, adding to the church its Rayonnant Gothic. Galeazzo gave the Fabbrica del Duomo exclusive use of the marble from the Candoglia quarry and exempted it from taxes. Ten years later another French architect, Jean Mignot, was called from Paris to judge and improve upon the work done, as the masons needed new technical aid to lift stones to an unprecedented height.[9] Mignot declared all the work done up until then as in pericolo di ruina ("peril of ruin"), as it had been done sine scienzia ("without science"). In the following years Mignot's forecasts proved untrue, but they spurred Galeazzo's engineers to improve their instruments and techniques. However, relations between Gian Galeazzo and the top management of the factory (chosen by the citizens of Milan) were often tense: the lord (who in 1395 had become Duke of Milan) intended to transform the cathedral into the dynastic mausoleum of the Visconti, inserting the central part of the cathedral funeral monument of his father Galeazzo II and this met with strong opposition from both the factory and the Milanese, who wanted to underline their autonomy. A clash arose, which forced Gian Galeazzo to decide on the foundation of a new construction site intended exclusively for the Visconti dynasty: the Certosa di Pavia.[10] Work proceeded quickly, and at the death of Gian Galeazzo in 1402, almost half the cathedral was complete. Construction, however, stalled almost totally until 1480, for lack of money and ideas: the most notable works of this period were the tombs of Marco Carelli and Pope Martin V (1424) and the windows of the apse (1470s), of which those extant portray St. John the Evangelist, by Cristoforo de' Mottis, and Saint Eligius and San John of Damascus, both by Niccolò da Varallo. In 1452, under Francesco Sforza, the nave and the aisles were completed up to the sixth bay.

 
Giovanni Antonio Amadeo on "Amadeo's Little Spire"

In 1488, both Leonardo da Vinci and Donato Bramante created models in a competition to design the central cupola; Leonardo later withdrew his submission.[11] From 1500 to 1510, under Ludovico Sforza, the octagonal cupola was completed, and decorated in the interior with four series of 15 statues each, portraying saints, prophets, sibyls and other Figures from the Bible. The exterior long remained without any decoration, except for the Guglietto dell'Amadeo ("Amadeo's Little Spire"), constructed 1507–1510. This is a Renaissance masterwork which nevertheless harmonized well with the general Gothic appearance of the church.

During the subsequent Spanish domination, the new church proved usable, even though the interior remained largely unfinished, and some bays of the nave and the transepts were still missing. In 1552 Giacomo Antegnati was commissioned to build a large organ for the north side of the choir, and Giuseppe Meda provided four of the sixteen reliefs which were to decorate the altar area (the program was completed by Federico Borromeo). In 1562, Marco d'Agrate's St. Bartholomew and the famous Trivulzio candelabrum (12th century) were added.

Borromeo

 
Plan of the Cathedral in the 16th century

After the accession of Carlo Borromeo to the archbishop's throne, all lay monuments were removed from the Duomo. These included the tombs of Giovanni, and Filippo Maria Visconti, Francesco I and his wife Bianca, Galeazzo Maria, which were brought to unknown destinations. However, Borromeo's main intervention was the appointment, in 1571, of Pellegrino Pellegrini as chief engineer— a contentious move, since to appoint Pellegrino, who was not a lay brother of the duomo, required a revision of the Fabbrica's statutes.

Borromeo and Pellegrini strove for a new, Renaissance appearance for the cathedral, that would emphasise its Roman / Italian nature, and subdue the Gothic style, which was now seen as foreign. As the façade still was largely incomplete, Pellegrini designed a "Roman" style one, with columns, obelisks and a large tympanum. When Pellegrini's design was revealed, a competition for the design of the façade was announced, and this elicited nearly a dozen entries, including one by Antonio Barca.[12]

This design was never carried out, but the interior decoration continued: in 1575-1585 the presbytery was rebuilt, while new altars and the baptistry were added. The wooden choir stalls were constructed by 1614 for the main altar by Francesco Brambilla. In 1577 Borromeo finally consecrated the whole edifice as a new church, distinct from the old Santa Maria Maggiore and Santa Tecla (which had been unified in 1549 after heavy disputes).

17th century

 
The cathedral as it appeared in 1745.

At the beginning of the 17th century Federico Borromeo had the foundations of the new façade laid by Francesco Maria Richini and Fabio Mangone. Work continued until 1638 with the construction of five portals and two middle windows. In 1649, however, the new chief architect Carlo Buzzi introduced a striking revolution: the façade was to revert to original Gothic style, including the already finished details within big Gothic pilasters and two giant belfries. Other designs were provided by, among others, Filippo Juvarra (1733) and Luigi Vanvitelli (1745), but all remained unapplied. In 1682 the façade of Santa Maria Maggiore was demolished and the cathedral's roof covering completed.

In 1762 one of the main features of the cathedral, the Madonnina's spire, was erected at the dizzying height of 108.5 m. The spire was designed by Carlo Pellicani and sports at the top a famous polychrome Madonnina statue, designed by Giuseppe Perego that befits the stature of the cathedral.[13] Given Milan's notoriously damp and foggy climate, the Milanese consider it a fair-weather day when the Madonnina is visible from a distance, as it is so often covered by mist.

Completion

 
Design for the crowning of Ferdinand I of Austria at the Duomo in 1838, by Alessandro Sanquirico

On 20 May 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte, about to be crowned King of Italy, ordered the façade to be finished by Pellicani. In his enthusiasm, he assured that all expenses would fall to the French treasurer, who would reimburse the Fabbrica for the real estate it had to sell. Even though this reimbursement was never paid, it still meant that finally, within only seven years, the cathedral's façade was completed. Pellicani largely followed Buzzi's project, adding some neo-Gothic details to the upper windows. As a form of thanksgiving, a statue of Napoleon was placed at the top of one of the spires. Napoleon was crowned King of Italy at the Duomo.

In the following years, most of the missing arches and spires were constructed. The statues on the southern wall were also finished, while in 1829–1858, new stained glass windows replaced the old ones, though with less aesthetically significant results. The last details of the cathedral were finished only in the 20th century: the last portal was inaugurated on 6 January 1965. This date is considered the very end of a process which had proceeded for generations, although even now, some uncarved blocks remain to be completed as statues. The Allied bombing of Milan in World War II further delayed construction. Like many other cathedrals in cities bombed by the Allied forces, the Duomo suffered some damage, although to a lesser degree compared to other major buildings in the vicinity such as the La Scala Theatre. It was quickly repaired and became a place of solace and gathering for displaced local residents.[14]

The Duomo's main façade went under renovation from 2003 to early 2009: as of February 2009, it has been completely uncovered, showing again the colours of the Candoglia marble.[15]

In November 2012 officials announced a campaign to raise funds for the cathedral's preservation by asking patrons to adopt the building's spires. The effects of pollution on the 14th-century building entail regular maintenance, and recent austerity cuts to Italy's culture budget has left less money for upkeep of cultural institutions, including the cathedral. To help make up funds, Duomo management launched a campaign offering its 135 spires up for "adoption". Donors who contribute 100,000 (about $110,505) or more will have a plaque with their name engraved on it placed on the spire.[16]

Architects and engineers

  • 1387 Simone da Orsenigo
  • 1387 Zeno da Campione
  • 1387 Marco da Campione detto da Frixono
  • 1389 Giacomo da Campione
  • 1389 Nicola Bonaventura o da Benaventis di Francia
  • 1389 Stefanino o Tavannino di Castelseprio
  • 1391 Giovanni Fernach di Frimburgo
  • 1391 Giovannino de Grassi
  • 1391 Lorenzo degli Spazii da Campione o di Laino
  • 1391 Marco da Carona
  • 1391 Enrico di Gamodia (Gmüden)
  • 1394 Beltramo da Conigo
  • 1394 Ulrico Füssingen di Ulma
  • 1398 Salomone de Grassi
  • 1399 Antonio o Antonino da Paderno
  • 1399 Gasparino da Carona
  • 1399 Giacomolo da Venezia di Parigi
  • 1399 Giovanni Mignoto
  • 1399 Giovanni Cona o Cova di Bruges
  • 1399 Arasmino de Sirtori
  • 1400 Filippo degli Organi
  • 1401 Polino da Orsenigo
  • 1404 Antonio da Paderno
  • 1406 Cristoforo de Chiona
  • 1407 Leonardo da Sirtori
  • 1409 Giovanni Magatto
  • 1415 Antonio da Muggiò
  • 1416 Bartolomeo di Modena
  • 1420 Antonio da Gorgonzola
  • 1430 Franceschino da Cannobio
  • 1451 Giorgio degli Organi da Modena
  • 1451 Giovanni Solari
  • 1452 Antonio da Firenze detto il Filarete
  • 1458 Donato de Sirtori
  • 1459 Boniforte o Guinforte Solari
  • 1476 Pietro Antonio Solari
  • 1483 Giovanni Nexemperger di Graz
  • 1486 Giovanni Antonio Amadeo
  • 1490 Gian Giacomo Dolcebuono
  • 1506 Cristoforo Solari detto il Gobbo
  • 1512 Gerolamo della Porta
  • 1519 Bernardo Zenale di Treviglio
  • 1524 Giangiacomo della Porta
  • 1526 Cristoforo Lombardo
  • 1539 Baldassarre Vianelli
  • 1547 Vincenzo da Seregno o Seregni
  • 1567 Pellegrino Pellegrini, called il Tibaldi
  • 1587 Martino Bassi
  • 1591 Lelio Buzzi
  • 1598 Aurelio Trezzi
  • 1609 Alessandro Bisnato
  • 1617 Fabio Mangone
  • 1617 Giovanni Paolo Bisnato
  • 1631 Francesco Maria Ricchino
  • 1638 Carlo Buzzio o Buzzi
  • 1658 Girolamo Quadrio
  • 1679 Andrea Biffi
  • 1686 Giambattista Quadrio
  • 1723 Antonio Quadrio
  • 1743 Bartolomeo Bolla o Bolli
  • 1760 Francesco Croce
  • 1773 Giulio Galliori
  • 1795 Felice Soave
  • 1801 Giovanni Antonio Antolini
  • 1803 Leopoldo Pollak
  • 1806 Giuseppe Zanoja
  • 1806 Giuseppe Pollak
  • 1806 Carlo Amati
  • 1813 Pietro Pestagalli
  • 1854-1860 Office vacant
  • 1861 Giuseppe Vandoni
  • 1877 Paolo Cesa-Bianchi
  • 1904 Gaetano Moretti
  • 1907 Luca Beltrami
  • 1912 Adolfo Zacchi
  • 1963 Antonio Cassi Ramelli
  • 1964 Carlo Ferrari da Passano
  • 1988 Benigno Mörlin Visconti Castiglione

Architecture and art

 
Tourists on the roof
 
Interior view of the Duomo di Milano
 
Statue on the roof
 
Statue on the roof

The plan consists of a nave with four side-aisles, crossed by a transept and then followed by choir and apse. The height of the nave is about 45 metres (148 ft), the highest Gothic vaults of a complete church (less than the 48 metres (157 ft) of Beauvais Cathedral, which was never completed).

The roof is open to tourists (for a fee), 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.[17]

The cathedral's five broad naves, divided by 40 pillars, are reflected in the hierarchic openings of the façade. Even the transepts have aisles. The nave columns are 24.5 metres (80 ft) high, and the apsidal windows are 20.7 by 8.5 metres (68 by 28 ft). 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.

In 2015, Milan's cathedral developed a new lighting system based on LED lights.[18]

Aesthetic judgements

The cathedral was built over several hundred years in a number of contrasting styles. Reactions to it have ranged from admiration to disfavour. The Guida d’Italia: Milano 1998 (Touring Club Editore, p. 154) points out that the early Romantics tended to praise it in "the first intense enthusiasms for Gothic." As the Gothic Revival brought in a purer taste, condemnation was often equally intense.

John Ruskin commented acidly that the cathedral steals "from every style in the world: and every style spoiled. The cathedral is a mixture of Perpendicular with Flamboyant, the latter being peculiarly barbarous and angular, owing to its being engrafted, not on a pure, but a very early penetrative Gothic … The rest of the architecture among which this curious Flamboyant is set is a Perpendicular with horizontal bars across: and with the most detestable crocketing, utterly vile. Not a ray of invention in a single form… Finally the statues all over are of the worst possible common stonemasons’ yard species, and look pinned on for show. The only redeeming character about the whole being the frequent use of the sharp gable ... which gives lightness, and the crowding of the spiry pinnacles into the sky." (Notebooks[M.6L]). The plastered ceiling painted to imitate elaborate tracery carved in stone particularly aroused his contempt as a "gross degradation".[19]

While appreciating the force of Ruskin's criticisms, Henry James was more appreciative: "A structure not supremely interesting, not logical, not … commandingly beautiful, but grandly curious and superbly rich. … If it had no other distinction it would still have that of impressive, immeasurable achievement … a supreme embodiment of vigorous effort."[20]

Main monuments and sights

 
The Gold Madonna at the top of the cathedral
 
Artwork on the door of the cathedral.

The interior of the cathedral includes numerous monuments and artworks. These include:

  • At the left of the altar is located the most famous statue of all the cathedral, the Saint Bartholomew Flayed (1562), by Marco d'Agrate, the saint shows his flayed skin thrown over his shoulders like a stole.[21]
  • The Archbishop Alberto da Intimiano's sarcophagus, which is overlooked by a Crucifix in copper laminae (a replica).[22]
  • The sarcophagi of the archbishops Ottone Visconti and Giovanni Visconti, created by a Campionese master in the 14th century.[23]
  • The sarcophagus of Marco Carelli, who donated 35,000 ducati to accelerate the construction of the cathedral.[24]
  • The three magnificent altars by Pellegrino Pellegrini, which include the notable Federico Zuccari's Visit of St. Peter to St. Agatha jailed.[25]
  • In the right transept, the monument to Gian Giacomo Medici di Marignano, called "Medeghino", by Leone Leoni, and the adjacent Renaissance marble altar, decorated with gilt bronze statues.[26]
  • The presbytery is a late Renaissance masterpiece composing a choir, a Temple by Pellegrini, two pulpits with giant atlantes covered in copper and bronze, and two large organs. Around the choir the two sacristies' portals, some frescoes and a fifteenth-century statue of Martin V by Jacopino da Tradate can be seen.[27]
  • The transepts house the Trivulzio Candelabrum, which is in two pieces. The base (attributed to Nicolas of Verdun, 12th no century), characterized by a fantastic ensemble of vines, vegetables and imaginary animals; and the stem, of the mid-16th century.[28]
  • In the left aisle, the Arcimboldi monument by Alessi and Romanesque figures depicting the Apostles in red marble and the neo-Classic baptistry by Pellegrini.
  • A small red light bulb in the dome above the apse marks the spot where one of the nails reputedly from the Crucifixion of Christ has been placed. The Holy Nail is retrieved and exposed to the public every year, during a celebration known as the Rite of the Nivola.
  • In November–December, in the days surrounding the birthdate of Saint Charles Borromeo, a series of large canvases, the Quadroni are exhibited along the nave.
  • Since September 2005, in the cathedral's crypt, beside the relics of Saint Charles Borromeo, there has been a video installation by English artist Mark Wallinger. Entitled Via Dolorosa, it consists of an 18-minute film reproducing scenes of the Passion excerpted from the film Jesus of Nazareth by Franco Zeffirelli.[29]
  • In November 2014 a white marble sculpture by Tony Cragg inspired to the Madonna statue on the rooftop was installed.[30]
  • The 5-manual, 225-rank pipe-organ, built jointly by the Tamburini and Mascioni Italian organbuilding firms on Mussolini's command, is currently the largest organ in all of Italy.

The American writer and journalist Mark Twain visited Milan in the summer of 1867. He dedicated chapter 18 of Innocents Abroad to Milan Cathedral, including many physical and historical details, and a visit to the roof. He describes the Duomo as follows:

What a wonder it is! So grand, so solemn, so vast! And yet so delicate, so airy, so graceful! A very world of solid weight, and yet it seems ...a delusion of frostwork that might vanish with a breath!... The central one of its five great doors is bordered with a bas-relief of birds and fruits and beasts and insects, which have been so ingeniously carved out of the marble that they seem like living creatures-- and the figures are so numerous and the design so complex, that one might study it a week without exhausting its interest...everywhere that a niche or a perch can be found about the enormous building, from summit to base, there is a marble statue, and every statue is a study in itself...Away above, on the lofty roof, rank on rank of carved and fretted spires spring high in the air, and through their rich tracery one sees the sky beyond. ... (Up on) the roof...springing from its broad marble flagstones, were the long files of spires, looking very tall close at hand, but diminishing in the distance...We could see, now, that the statue on the top of each was the size of a large man, though they all looked like dolls from the street... They say that the Cathedral of Milan is second only to St. Peter's at Rome. I cannot understand how it can be second to anything made by human hands.

Oscar Wilde visited Milan in June 1875. In a letter to his mother he wrote: "The Cathedral is an awful failure. Outside the design is monstrous and inartistic. The over-elaborated details stuck high up where no one can see them; everything is vile in it; it is, however, imposing and gigantic as a failure, through its great size and elaborate execution."[31]

In Italian Hours, Henry James describes:

a certain exhibition that I privately enjoyed of the relics of St. Charles Borromeus. This holy man lies at his eternal rest in a small but gorgeous sepulchral chapel … and for the modest sum of five francs you may have his shrivelled mortality unveiled and gaze at it with whatever reserves occur to you. The Catholic Church never renounces a chance of the sublime for fear of a chance of the ridiculous--especially when the chance of the sublime may be the very excellent chance of five francs. The performance in question, of which the good San Carlo paid in the first instance the cost, was impressive certainly, but as a monstrous matter or a grim comedy may still be. The little sacristan, having secured his audience, … lighted a couple of extra candles and proceeded to remove from above the altar, by means of a crank, a sort of sliding shutter, just as you may see a shop-boy do of a morning at his master's window. In this case too a large sheet of plate-glass was uncovered, and to form an idea of the étalage you must imagine that a jeweller, for reasons of his own, has struck an unnatural partnership with an undertaker. The black mummified corpse of the saint is stretched out in a glass coffin, clad in his mouldering canonicals, mitred, crosiered and gloved, glittering with votive jewels. It is an extraordinary mixture of death and life; the desiccated clay, the ashen rags, the hideous little black mask and skull, and the living, glowing, twinkling splendour of diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. The collection is really fine, and many great historic names are attached to the different offerings. Whatever may be the better opinion as to the future of the Church, I can't help thinking she will make a figure in the world so long as she retains this great fund of precious "properties," this prodigious capital decoratively invested and scintillating throughout Christendom at effectively-scattered points.

Astronomical observations

From 1 December 1786, the Austrian Empire adopted “transalpine time”. The astronomers at Brera Astronomical Observatory were engaged by Count Giuseppe Di Wilczek, the plenipotentiary governor of Lombardy, to build a meridian line inside the Duomo.[32] The meridian was constructed by Giovanni Angelo Cesaris and Francesco Reggio, with Roger Boscovich acting as a consultant.

The meridian line was laid on the floor of the Duomo at the west end so as to be accessible and not interfere with religious services. A hole was inserted in the roof near the south wall at a height of 24 metres (79 ft). The Duomo is not quite wide enough for a hole at this height so the meridian line extends up the north wall for about 3 metres (9.8 ft).[33] As the beam of light crossed the brass line and indicated solar noon, a signal was given towards the tower of the Palazzo dei Giureconsulti. A person there alerted Sforzesco Castle and a cannon was fired to announce solar noon to the city. This signal was then used to set all of the city clocks to the same time.

The line was examined in 1976 by the architects of the Duomo and astronomers from Brera. There was deviation in azimuth by up to 7 millimetres (0.28 in) and in level by up to 14 millimetres (0.55 in) but the accuracy of the line still enabled the fixing of solar noon to within 2 seconds.[34]

See also

References

  1. ^ . duomomilano.it. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  2. ^ . duomomilano.it. Archived from the original on 30 April 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  3. ^ (in Italian). duomomilano.it. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  4. ^ See List of largest church buildings in the world.
  5. ^ Denison, Simon (June 1995). . British Archaeology. Council for British Archaeology. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
  6. ^ Duomo is a generic term in Italian meaning "Cathedral", which technically refers to a church which is the official seat of an archbishop. It is derived from domus, a Latin term for "home" or "house", referring to the role of the church as home of God.
  7. ^ "The imposing Milan Cathedral - KLM Travel". klm.com. KLM. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  8. ^ Grillo, Paolo (2017). Nascita di una cattedrale, 1386- 1418: la fondazione del Duomo di Milano. Milano: Mondadori. pp. 3–34. ISBN 9788852083266.
  9. ^ Ackerman, James (June 1949). ""Ars Sine Scientia Nihil Est" Gothic Theory of Architecture at the Cathedral of Milan". The Art Bulletin. 31 (2): 96. JSTOR 3047224.
  10. ^ Grillo, Paolo (2017). Nascita di una cattedrale, 1386- 1418: la fondazione del Duomo di Milano. Milano: Mondadori. pp. 68–99. ISBN 9788852083266.
  11. ^ Wallace, Robert (1972) [1966]. The World of Leonardo: 1452–1519. New York: Time-Life Books. p. 79.
  12. ^ Ticozzi, Stefano (1830). Dizionario degli architetti, scultori, pittori, intagliatori in rame ed in pietra, coniatori di medaglie, musaicisti, niellatori, intarsiatori d'ogni etá e d'ogni nazione. Vol. 1. Gaetano Schiepatti. p. 110.
  13. ^ Tombesi Walton, Sylvia (2005). Milan, the Lakes and Lombardy. TimeOut Books. ISBN 978-1-904978-09-1.
  14. ^ (in Italian). Archdiocese of Milan. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016.
  15. ^ http://chambersarchitects.com/blog/milan_cathedral/ Cathedral Renovations 2003-2009
  16. ^ "Spire of the month - Adotta una Guglia Official Site". adottaunaguglia.duomomilano.it.
  17. ^ "Milan Cathedral - Opening hours, price and location in Milan". www.introducingmilan.com.
  18. ^ "Milan Cathedral lighting design is executed with ERCO LED spotlights". LEDs Magazine. PennWell Corporation. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  19. ^ The Seven Lamps of Architecture, Bibliolife Reproduction Series p. 41
  20. ^ Italian Hours, Bibliobazaar, p. 92
  21. ^ "The statue of St Bartholomew in the Milan Duomo". DuomoMilano. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  22. ^ Hourihane, Colum (6 December 2012). The Grove Encyclopedia of Medieval Art and Architecture. OUP USA. p. 463. ISBN 978-0-19-539536-5.
  23. ^ Gillaspia, Daniel (18 July 2018). "The Duomo Milan, Italy Guide (Tickets, Skip the Line, Tours) [2018]". UponArriving. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  24. ^ "Sarcophagus of Marco Carelli a Milanese merchant, marble work by..." Getty Images. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  25. ^ "The Altarpiece of the Assumption by Lucio Fontana exhibited at the Duomo". DuomoMilano. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  26. ^ "Duomo of Milan, the Cathedral symbol of the city | YesMilano". www.yesmilano.it. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  27. ^ "The Cathedral". DuomoMilano. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  28. ^ Leydi, Silvio (January 2011). "The Trivulzio candelabrum in the sixteenth century: documents and hypotheses". Burlington Magazine. 153: 4–12.
  29. ^ "Here's How the Church of the Future is Experimenting in the Cathedral of Milan". chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  30. ^ "Duomo, gru nella navata per posare la scultura ispirata alla Madonnina". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  31. ^ Hart-Davis, Rupert (1962). The Letters of Oscar Wilde. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc. p. 9.
  32. ^ Heilbron, John Lewis (1990). The Sun in the Church. Cathedrals as Solar Observatories. Harvard University Press. p. 268. ISBN 0674005368.
  33. ^ "Did you know that … the astronomers of the Brera Astronomical Observatory built the Meridian Line inside the Duomo (cathedral) of Milan". MusAB. Museo Astronomico di Brera. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  34. ^ Passano, Carlo Ferrari da; Monti, Carlo; Mussio, Luigi (1977). La meridiana solare del Duomo di Milano: verifica e ripristino nell'anno 1976. Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano.

External links

  •   Media related to Duomo (Milan) at Wikimedia Commons
  • Official website
  • Photos and details
  • Duomo in Google Maps
  • Virtual model of Piazza del Duomo
  • Corpus of architectural drawings of the Cathedral of Milan research project by the Polytechnic University of Milan

milan, cathedral, italian, duomo, milano, ˈdwɔːmo, miˈlaːno, lombard, domm, milan, ˈdɔm, miˈlãː, metropolitan, cathedral, basilica, nativity, saint, mary, italian, basilica, cattedrale, metropolitana, santa, maria, nascente, cathedral, church, milan, lombardy,. Milan Cathedral Italian Duomo di Milano ˈdwɔːmo di miˈlaːno Lombard Domm de Milan ˈdɔm de miˈlaː or Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary Italian Basilica cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria Nascente is the cathedral church of Milan Lombardy Italy Dedicated to the Nativity of St Mary Santa Maria Nascente it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan currently Archbishop Mario Delpini Milan CathedralMetropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Nativity of Saint MaryBasilica cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria Nascente Italian Milan Cathedral from the SquareMilan CathedralLocation in Milan45 27 51 N 9 11 29 E 45 46417 N 9 19139 E 45 46417 9 19139 Coordinates 45 27 51 N 9 11 29 E 45 46417 N 9 19139 E 45 46417 9 19139LocationVia Carlo Maria Martini 120122 MilanCountryItalyDenominationRoman CatholicTraditionAmbrosian RiteWebsiteMilan DuomoHistoryStatusCathedral minor basilicaArchitectureFunctional statusActiveArchitect s Simone da Orsenigoet al 1 StyleGothic Renaissance architectureGroundbreaking1386 original building Completed1965 1965 SpecificationsCapacity40 000Length158 6 metres 520 ft Width92 metres 302 ft Nave width16 75 metres 55 0 ft Height108 metres 354 ft Other dimensionsFacade facing WestDome height outer 65 6 metres 215 ft Number of spires135Spire height108 5 metres 356 ft MaterialsBrick with Candoglia marble 2 AdministrationArchdioceseArchdiocese of MilanClergyArchbishopMario DelpiniLaityDirector of musicClaudio Burgio 3 Organist s Emanuele Carlo Vianelli organista titolare Plate celebrating the laying of the first stone in 1386 The cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete construction began in 1386 and the final details were completed in 1965 It is the largest church in the Italian Republic the larger St Peter s Basilica is in the State of Vatican City a sovereign state and one of the largest in the world 4 Contents 1 History 1 1 Construction begins 1 2 Borromeo 1 3 17th century 1 4 Completion 1 5 Architects and engineers 2 Architecture and art 2 1 Aesthetic judgements 2 2 Main monuments and sights 3 Astronomical observations 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory Edit Saint Ambrose barring Theodosius from Milan Cathedral by Anthony van Dyck Milan s layout with streets either radiating from the Duomo or circling it reveals that the Duomo occupies what was the most central site in Roman Mediolanum that of the public basilica facing the forum The first cathedral the new basilica basilica nova dedicated to St Thecla was completed by 355 It seems to share on a slightly smaller scale the plan of the contemporaneous church recently rediscovered beneath Tower Hill in London 5 An adjoining basilica was erected in 836 The old octagonal baptistery the Battistero Paleocristiano dates to 335 and still can be visited under the cathedral When a fire damaged the cathedral and basilica in 1075 they were rebuilt as the Duomo 6 Construction begins Edit In 1386 Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo began construction of the cathedral 7 Start of the construction coincided with the ascension to power in Milan of the archbishop s cousin Gian Galeazzo Visconti and was meant as a reward to the noble and working classes who had suffered under his tyrannical Visconti predecessor Barnabo The construction of the cathedral was also dictated by very specific political choices with the new construction site the population of Milan intended to emphasize the centrality of Milan in the eyes of Gian Galeazzo a prominence questioned by the choice of the new lord to reside and maintain his court like his father Galeazzo II in Pavia and not in Milan 8 Before actual work began three main buildings were demolished the palace of the Archbishop the Ordinari Palace and the Baptistry of St Stephen at the Spring while the old church of Sta Maria Maggiore was exploited as a stone quarry Enthusiasm for the immense new building soon spread among the population and the shrewd Gian Galeazzo together with his cousin the archbishop collected large donations for the work in progress The construction program was strictly regulated under the Fabbrica del Duomo which had 300 employees led by first chief engineer Simone da Orsenigo Orsenigo initially planned to build the cathedral from brick in Lombard Gothic style Visconti had ambitions to follow the newest trends in European architecture In 1389 a French chief engineer Nicolas de Bonaventure was appointed adding to the church its Rayonnant Gothic Galeazzo gave the Fabbrica del Duomo exclusive use of the marble from the Candoglia quarry and exempted it from taxes Ten years later another French architect Jean Mignot was called from Paris to judge and improve upon the work done as the masons needed new technical aid to lift stones to an unprecedented height 9 Mignot declared all the work done up until then as in pericolo di ruina peril of ruin as it had been done sine scienzia without science In the following years Mignot s forecasts proved untrue but they spurred Galeazzo s engineers to improve their instruments and techniques However relations between Gian Galeazzo and the top management of the factory chosen by the citizens of Milan were often tense the lord who in 1395 had become Duke of Milan intended to transform the cathedral into the dynastic mausoleum of the Visconti inserting the central part of the cathedral funeral monument of his father Galeazzo II and this met with strong opposition from both the factory and the Milanese who wanted to underline their autonomy A clash arose which forced Gian Galeazzo to decide on the foundation of a new construction site intended exclusively for the Visconti dynasty the Certosa di Pavia 10 Work proceeded quickly and at the death of Gian Galeazzo in 1402 almost half the cathedral was complete Construction however stalled almost totally until 1480 for lack of money and ideas the most notable works of this period were the tombs of Marco Carelli and Pope Martin V 1424 and the windows of the apse 1470s of which those extant portray St John the Evangelist by Cristoforo de Mottis and Saint Eligius and San John of Damascus both by Niccolo da Varallo In 1452 under Francesco Sforza the nave and the aisles were completed up to the sixth bay Giovanni Antonio Amadeo on Amadeo s Little Spire In 1488 both Leonardo da Vinci and Donato Bramante created models in a competition to design the central cupola Leonardo later withdrew his submission 11 From 1500 to 1510 under Ludovico Sforza the octagonal cupola was completed and decorated in the interior with four series of 15 statues each portraying saints prophets sibyls and other Figures from the Bible The exterior long remained without any decoration except for the Guglietto dell Amadeo Amadeo s Little Spire constructed 1507 1510 This is a Renaissance masterwork which nevertheless harmonized well with the general Gothic appearance of the church During the subsequent Spanish domination the new church proved usable even though the interior remained largely unfinished and some bays of the nave and the transepts were still missing In 1552 Giacomo Antegnati was commissioned to build a large organ for the north side of the choir and Giuseppe Meda provided four of the sixteen reliefs which were to decorate the altar area the program was completed by Federico Borromeo In 1562 Marco d Agrate s St Bartholomew and the famous Trivulzio candelabrum 12th century were added Borromeo Edit Plan of the Cathedral in the 16th century After the accession of Carlo Borromeo to the archbishop s throne all lay monuments were removed from the Duomo These included the tombs of Giovanni and Filippo Maria Visconti Francesco I and his wife Bianca Galeazzo Maria which were brought to unknown destinations However Borromeo s main intervention was the appointment in 1571 of Pellegrino Pellegrini as chief engineer a contentious move since to appoint Pellegrino who was not a lay brother of the duomo required a revision of the Fabbrica s statutes Borromeo and Pellegrini strove for a new Renaissance appearance for the cathedral that would emphasise its Roman Italian nature and subdue the Gothic style which was now seen as foreign As the facade still was largely incomplete Pellegrini designed a Roman style one with columns obelisks and a large tympanum When Pellegrini s design was revealed a competition for the design of the facade was announced and this elicited nearly a dozen entries including one by Antonio Barca 12 This design was never carried out but the interior decoration continued in 1575 1585 the presbytery was rebuilt while new altars and the baptistry were added The wooden choir stalls were constructed by 1614 for the main altar by Francesco Brambilla In 1577 Borromeo finally consecrated the whole edifice as a new church distinct from the old Santa Maria Maggiore and Santa Tecla which had been unified in 1549 after heavy disputes 17th century Edit The cathedral as it appeared in 1745 At the beginning of the 17th century Federico Borromeo had the foundations of the new facade laid by Francesco Maria Richini and Fabio Mangone Work continued until 1638 with the construction of five portals and two middle windows In 1649 however the new chief architect Carlo Buzzi introduced a striking revolution the facade was to revert to original Gothic style including the already finished details within big Gothic pilasters and two giant belfries Other designs were provided by among others Filippo Juvarra 1733 and Luigi Vanvitelli 1745 but all remained unapplied In 1682 the facade of Santa Maria Maggiore was demolished and the cathedral s roof covering completed In 1762 one of the main features of the cathedral the Madonnina s spire was erected at the dizzying height of 108 5 m The spire was designed by Carlo Pellicani and sports at the top a famous polychrome Madonnina statue designed by Giuseppe Perego that befits the stature of the cathedral 13 Given Milan s notoriously damp and foggy climate the Milanese consider it a fair weather day when the Madonnina is visible from a distance as it is so often covered by mist Completion Edit Design for the crowning of Ferdinand I of Austria at the Duomo in 1838 by Alessandro Sanquirico On 20 May 1805 Napoleon Bonaparte about to be crowned King of Italy ordered the facade to be finished by Pellicani In his enthusiasm he assured that all expenses would fall to the French treasurer who would reimburse the Fabbrica for the real estate it had to sell Even though this reimbursement was never paid it still meant that finally within only seven years the cathedral s facade was completed Pellicani largely followed Buzzi s project adding some neo Gothic details to the upper windows As a form of thanksgiving a statue of Napoleon was placed at the top of one of the spires Napoleon was crowned King of Italy at the Duomo In the following years most of the missing arches and spires were constructed The statues on the southern wall were also finished while in 1829 1858 new stained glass windows replaced the old ones though with less aesthetically significant results The last details of the cathedral were finished only in the 20th century the last portal was inaugurated on 6 January 1965 This date is considered the very end of a process which had proceeded for generations although even now some uncarved blocks remain to be completed as statues The Allied bombing of Milan in World War II further delayed construction Like many other cathedrals in cities bombed by the Allied forces the Duomo suffered some damage although to a lesser degree compared to other major buildings in the vicinity such as the La Scala Theatre It was quickly repaired and became a place of solace and gathering for displaced local residents 14 The Duomo s main facade went under renovation from 2003 to early 2009 as of February 2009 it has been completely uncovered showing again the colours of the Candoglia marble 15 In November 2012 officials announced a campaign to raise funds for the cathedral s preservation by asking patrons to adopt the building s spires The effects of pollution on the 14th century building entail regular maintenance and recent austerity cuts to Italy s culture budget has left less money for upkeep of cultural institutions including the cathedral To help make up funds Duomo management launched a campaign offering its 135 spires up for adoption Donors who contribute 100 000 about 110 505 or more will have a plaque with their name engraved on it placed on the spire 16 Architects and engineers Edit 1387 Simone da Orsenigo 1387 Zeno da Campione 1387 Marco da Campione detto da Frixono 1389 Giacomo da Campione 1389 Nicola Bonaventura o da Benaventis di Francia 1389 Stefanino o Tavannino di Castelseprio 1391 Giovanni Fernach di Frimburgo 1391 Giovannino de Grassi 1391 Lorenzo degli Spazii da Campione o di Laino 1391 Marco da Carona 1391 Enrico di Gamodia Gmuden 1394 Beltramo da Conigo 1394 Ulrico Fussingen di Ulma 1398 Salomone de Grassi 1399 Antonio o Antonino da Paderno 1399 Gasparino da Carona 1399 Giacomolo da Venezia di Parigi 1399 Giovanni Mignoto 1399 Giovanni Cona o Cova di Bruges 1399 Arasmino de Sirtori 1400 Filippo degli Organi 1401 Polino da Orsenigo 1404 Antonio da Paderno 1406 Cristoforo de Chiona 1407 Leonardo da Sirtori 1409 Giovanni Magatto 1415 Antonio da Muggio 1416 Bartolomeo di Modena 1420 Antonio da Gorgonzola 1430 Franceschino da Cannobio 1451 Giorgio degli Organi da Modena 1451 Giovanni Solari 1452 Antonio da Firenze detto il Filarete 1458 Donato de Sirtori 1459 Boniforte o Guinforte Solari 1476 Pietro Antonio Solari 1483 Giovanni Nexemperger di Graz 1486 Giovanni Antonio Amadeo 1490 Gian Giacomo Dolcebuono 1506 Cristoforo Solari detto il Gobbo 1512 Gerolamo della Porta 1519 Bernardo Zenale di Treviglio 1524 Giangiacomo della Porta 1526 Cristoforo Lombardo 1539 Baldassarre Vianelli 1547 Vincenzo da Seregno o Seregni 1567 Pellegrino Pellegrini called il Tibaldi 1587 Martino Bassi 1591 Lelio Buzzi 1598 Aurelio Trezzi 1609 Alessandro Bisnato 1617 Fabio Mangone 1617 Giovanni Paolo Bisnato 1631 Francesco Maria Ricchino 1638 Carlo Buzzio o Buzzi 1658 Girolamo Quadrio 1679 Andrea Biffi 1686 Giambattista Quadrio 1723 Antonio Quadrio 1743 Bartolomeo Bolla o Bolli 1760 Francesco Croce 1773 Giulio Galliori 1795 Felice Soave 1801 Giovanni Antonio Antolini 1803 Leopoldo Pollak 1806 Giuseppe Zanoja 1806 Giuseppe Pollak 1806 Carlo Amati 1813 Pietro Pestagalli 1854 1860 Office vacant 1861 Giuseppe Vandoni 1877 Paolo Cesa Bianchi 1904 Gaetano Moretti 1907 Luca Beltrami 1912 Adolfo Zacchi 1963 Antonio Cassi Ramelli 1964 Carlo Ferrari da Passano 1988 Benigno Morlin Visconti CastiglioneArchitecture and art Edit Tourists on the roof Interior view of the Duomo di Milano Statue on the roof Statue on the roof The plan consists of a nave with four side aisles crossed by a transept and then followed by choir and apse The height of the nave is about 45 metres 148 ft the highest Gothic vaults of a complete church less than the 48 metres 157 ft of Beauvais Cathedral which was never completed The roof is open to tourists for a fee 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 17 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 by 8 5 metres 68 by 28 ft 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 In 2015 Milan s cathedral developed a new lighting system based on LED lights 18 Aesthetic judgements Edit The cathedral was built over several hundred years in a number of contrasting styles Reactions to it have ranged from admiration to disfavour The Guida d Italia Milano 1998 Touring Club Editore p 154 points out that the early Romantics tended to praise it in the first intense enthusiasms for Gothic As the Gothic Revival brought in a purer taste condemnation was often equally intense John Ruskin commented acidly that the cathedral steals from every style in the world and every style spoiled The cathedral is a mixture of Perpendicular with Flamboyant the latter being peculiarly barbarous and angular owing to its being engrafted not on a pure but a very early penetrative Gothic The rest of the architecture among which this curious Flamboyant is set is a Perpendicular with horizontal bars across and with the most detestable crocketing utterly vile Not a ray of invention in a single form Finally the statues all over are of the worst possible common stonemasons yard species and look pinned on for show The only redeeming character about the whole being the frequent use of the sharp gable which gives lightness and the crowding of the spiry pinnacles into the sky Notebooks M 6L The plastered ceiling painted to imitate elaborate tracery carved in stone particularly aroused his contempt as a gross degradation 19 While appreciating the force of Ruskin s criticisms Henry James was more appreciative A structure not supremely interesting not logical not commandingly beautiful but grandly curious and superbly rich If it had no other distinction it would still have that of impressive immeasurable achievement a supreme embodiment of vigorous effort 20 Main monuments and sights Edit This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Milan Cathedral news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message Saint Bartholomew The Gold Madonna at the top of the cathedral Artwork on the door of the cathedral The interior of the cathedral includes numerous monuments and artworks These include At the left of the altar is located the most famous statue of all the cathedral the Saint Bartholomew Flayed 1562 by Marco d Agrate the saint shows his flayed skin thrown over his shoulders like a stole 21 The Archbishop Alberto da Intimiano s sarcophagus which is overlooked by a Crucifix in copper laminae a replica 22 The sarcophagi of the archbishops Ottone Visconti and Giovanni Visconti created by a Campionese master in the 14th century 23 The sarcophagus of Marco Carelli who donated 35 000 ducati to accelerate the construction of the cathedral 24 The three magnificent altars by Pellegrino Pellegrini which include the notable Federico Zuccari s Visit of St Peter to St Agatha jailed 25 In the right transept the monument to Gian Giacomo Medici di Marignano called Medeghino by Leone Leoni and the adjacent Renaissance marble altar decorated with gilt bronze statues 26 The presbytery is a late Renaissance masterpiece composing a choir a Temple by Pellegrini two pulpits with giant atlantes covered in copper and bronze and two large organs Around the choir the two sacristies portals some frescoes and a fifteenth century statue of Martin V by Jacopino da Tradate can be seen 27 The transepts house the Trivulzio Candelabrum which is in two pieces The base attributed to Nicolas of Verdun 12th no century characterized by a fantastic ensemble of vines vegetables and imaginary animals and the stem of the mid 16th century 28 In the left aisle the Arcimboldi monument by Alessi and Romanesque figures depicting the Apostles in red marble and the neo Classic baptistry by Pellegrini A small red light bulb in the dome above the apse marks the spot where one of the nails reputedly from the Crucifixion of Christ has been placed The Holy Nail is retrieved and exposed to the public every year during a celebration known as the Rite of the Nivola In November December in the days surrounding the birthdate of Saint Charles Borromeo a series of large canvases the Quadroni are exhibited along the nave Since September 2005 in the cathedral s crypt beside the relics of Saint Charles Borromeo there has been a video installation by English artist Mark Wallinger Entitled Via Dolorosa it consists of an 18 minute film reproducing scenes of the Passion excerpted from the film Jesus of Nazareth by Franco Zeffirelli 29 In November 2014 a white marble sculpture by Tony Cragg inspired to the Madonna statue on the rooftop was installed 30 The 5 manual 225 rank pipe organ built jointly by the Tamburini and Mascioni Italian organbuilding firms on Mussolini s command is currently the largest organ in all of Italy The American writer and journalist Mark Twain visited Milan in the summer of 1867 He dedicated chapter 18 of Innocents Abroad to Milan Cathedral including many physical and historical details and a visit to the roof He describes the Duomo as follows What a wonder it is So grand so solemn so vast And yet so delicate so airy so graceful A very world of solid weight and yet it seems a delusion of frostwork that might vanish with a breath The central one of its five great doors is bordered with a bas relief of birds and fruits and beasts and insects which have been so ingeniously carved out of the marble that they seem like living creatures and the figures are so numerous and the design so complex that one might study it a week without exhausting its interest everywhere that a niche or a perch can be found about the enormous building from summit to base there is a marble statue and every statue is a study in itself Away above on the lofty roof rank on rank of carved and fretted spires spring high in the air and through their rich tracery one sees the sky beyond Up on the roof springing from its broad marble flagstones were the long files of spires looking very tall close at hand but diminishing in the distance We could see now that the statue on the top of each was the size of a large man though they all looked like dolls from the street They say that the Cathedral of Milan is second only to St Peter s at Rome I cannot understand how it can be second to anything made by human hands Oscar Wilde visited Milan in June 1875 In a letter to his mother he wrote The Cathedral is an awful failure Outside the design is monstrous and inartistic The over elaborated details stuck high up where no one can see them everything is vile in it it is however imposing and gigantic as a failure through its great size and elaborate execution 31 In Italian Hours Henry James describes a certain exhibition that I privately enjoyed of the relics of St Charles Borromeus This holy man lies at his eternal rest in a small but gorgeous sepulchral chapel and for the modest sum of five francs you may have his shrivelled mortality unveiled and gaze at it with whatever reserves occur to you The Catholic Church never renounces a chance of the sublime for fear of a chance of the ridiculous especially when the chance of the sublime may be the very excellent chance of five francs The performance in question of which the good San Carlo paid in the first instance the cost was impressive certainly but as a monstrous matter or a grim comedy may still be The little sacristan having secured his audience lighted a couple of extra candles and proceeded to remove from above the altar by means of a crank a sort of sliding shutter just as you may see a shop boy do of a morning at his master s window In this case too a large sheet of plate glass was uncovered and to form an idea of the etalage you must imagine that a jeweller for reasons of his own has struck an unnatural partnership with an undertaker The black mummified corpse of the saint is stretched out in a glass coffin clad in his mouldering canonicals mitred crosiered and gloved glittering with votive jewels It is an extraordinary mixture of death and life the desiccated clay the ashen rags the hideous little black mask and skull and the living glowing twinkling splendour of diamonds emeralds and sapphires The collection is really fine and many great historic names are attached to the different offerings Whatever may be the better opinion as to the future of the Church I can t help thinking she will make a figure in the world so long as she retains this great fund of precious properties this prodigious capital decoratively invested and scintillating throughout Christendom at effectively scattered points Astronomical observations EditFrom 1 December 1786 the Austrian Empire adopted transalpine time The astronomers at Brera Astronomical Observatory were engaged by Count Giuseppe Di Wilczek the plenipotentiary governor of Lombardy to build a meridian line inside the Duomo 32 The meridian was constructed by Giovanni Angelo Cesaris and Francesco Reggio with Roger Boscovich acting as a consultant The meridian line was laid on the floor of the Duomo at the west end so as to be accessible and not interfere with religious services A hole was inserted in the roof near the south wall at a height of 24 metres 79 ft The Duomo is not quite wide enough for a hole at this height so the meridian line extends up the north wall for about 3 metres 9 8 ft 33 As the beam of light crossed the brass line and indicated solar noon a signal was given towards the tower of the Palazzo dei Giureconsulti A person there alerted Sforzesco Castle and a cannon was fired to announce solar noon to the city This signal was then used to set all of the city clocks to the same time The line was examined in 1976 by the architects of the Duomo and astronomers from Brera There was deviation in azimuth by up to 7 millimetres 0 28 in and in level by up to 14 millimetres 0 55 in but the accuracy of the line still enabled the fixing of solar noon to within 2 seconds 34 See also EditAnor Londo Dark Souls Early Christian churches in Milan History of early modern period domes History of Italian Renaissance domes History of medieval Arabic and Western European domes Italian Gothic architecture List of Gothic Cathedrals in Europe List of largest church buildings in the world List of highest church navesReferences Edit Architects of the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo duomomilano it Archived from the original on 15 February 2017 Retrieved 16 August 2016 Art and History of the Duomo Architecture duomomilano it Archived from the original on 30 April 2017 Retrieved 16 August 2016 Capella Musicale in Italian duomomilano it Archived from the original on 31 March 2017 Retrieved 16 August 2016 See List of largest church buildings in the world Denison Simon June 1995 News In Brief British Archaeology Council for British Archaeology Archived from the original on 13 May 2013 Retrieved 30 March 2013 Duomo is a generic term in Italian meaning Cathedral which technically refers to a church which is the official seat of an archbishop It is derived from domus a Latin term for home or house referring to the role of the church as home of God The imposing Milan Cathedral KLM Travel klm com KLM Retrieved 4 February 2016 Grillo Paolo 2017 Nascita di una cattedrale 1386 1418 la fondazione del Duomo di Milano Milano Mondadori pp 3 34 ISBN 9788852083266 Ackerman James June 1949 Ars Sine Scientia Nihil Est Gothic Theory of Architecture at the Cathedral of Milan The Art Bulletin 31 2 96 JSTOR 3047224 Grillo Paolo 2017 Nascita di una cattedrale 1386 1418 la fondazione del Duomo di Milano Milano Mondadori pp 68 99 ISBN 9788852083266 Wallace Robert 1972 1966 The World of Leonardo 1452 1519 New York Time Life Books p 79 Ticozzi Stefano 1830 Dizionario degli architetti scultori pittori intagliatori in rame ed in pietra coniatori di medaglie musaicisti niellatori intarsiatori d ogni eta e d ogni nazione Vol 1 Gaetano Schiepatti p 110 Tombesi Walton Sylvia 2005 Milan the Lakes and Lombardy TimeOut Books ISBN 978 1 904978 09 1 Anniversario 8 settembre 1943 l Armistizio a Milano Anniversary 8 September 1943 the Armistice in Milan in Italian Archdiocese of Milan Archived from the original on 12 October 2016 http chambersarchitects com blog milan cathedral Cathedral Renovations 2003 2009 Spire of the month Adotta una Guglia Official Site adottaunaguglia duomomilano it Milan Cathedral Opening hours price and location in Milan www introducingmilan com Milan Cathedral lighting design is executed with ERCO LED spotlights LEDs Magazine PennWell Corporation 9 June 2015 Retrieved 2 October 2015 The Seven Lamps of Architecture Bibliolife Reproduction Series p 41 Italian Hours Bibliobazaar p 92 The statue of St Bartholomew in the Milan Duomo DuomoMilano 22 March 2019 Retrieved 16 March 2020 Hourihane Colum 6 December 2012 The Grove Encyclopedia of Medieval Art and Architecture OUP USA p 463 ISBN 978 0 19 539536 5 Gillaspia Daniel 18 July 2018 The Duomo Milan Italy Guide Tickets Skip the Line Tours 2018 UponArriving Retrieved 16 March 2020 Sarcophagus of Marco Carelli a Milanese merchant marble work by Getty Images Retrieved 16 March 2020 The Altarpiece of the Assumption by Lucio Fontana exhibited at the Duomo DuomoMilano 5 February 2019 Retrieved 16 March 2020 Duomo of Milan the Cathedral symbol of the city YesMilano www yesmilano it Retrieved 16 March 2020 The Cathedral DuomoMilano Retrieved 16 March 2020 Leydi Silvio January 2011 The Trivulzio candelabrum in the sixteenth century documents and hypotheses Burlington Magazine 153 4 12 Here s How the Church of the Future is Experimenting in the Cathedral of Milan chiesa espresso repubblica it Retrieved 16 March 2020 Duomo gru nella navata per posare la scultura ispirata alla Madonnina Corriere della Sera in Italian Retrieved 16 March 2020 Hart Davis Rupert 1962 The Letters of Oscar Wilde New York Harcourt Brace amp World Inc p 9 Heilbron John Lewis 1990 The Sun in the Church Cathedrals as Solar Observatories Harvard University Press p 268 ISBN 0674005368 Did you know that the astronomers of the Brera Astronomical Observatory built the Meridian Line inside the Duomo cathedral of Milan MusAB Museo Astronomico di Brera Retrieved 19 June 2022 Passano Carlo Ferrari da Monti Carlo Mussio Luigi 1977 La meridiana solare del Duomo di Milano verifica e ripristino nell anno 1976 Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano External links Edit Media related to Duomo Milan at Wikimedia Commons Official website Photos and details Duomo in Google Maps Virtual model of Piazza del Duomo Interactive Panorama Milan Cathedral roof Corpus of architectural drawings of the Cathedral of Milan research project by the Polytechnic University of Milan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Milan Cathedral amp oldid 1133570280, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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