The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arch on the left and the cathedral facade on the right across a wide piazza, with pedestrians walking in the square.

Milan · Piazza del Duomo · Cathedral, rooftop terraces, Madonnina

Duomo di Milano: tickets, rooftop terraces and hours

The Gothic cathedral begun in 1386, with terraces among 135 spires and the Madonnina on top. Hours, access rules and what each type of ticket includes.

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Today

Opening hours for every month are on the Opening hours page.

Checked against the official website on 24 October 2026 · Official source

In short

The cathedral is run by the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo. When you book, you choose between the cathedral alone, the roof terraces alone (on foot, 251 steps, or by lift) and the two together, and whether the Duomo Museum is included. We read these rules on 24 October 2026.
The Duomo and the terraces are open every day from 9:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 18:00. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 5 June to 13 September 2026 the terraces stayed open until 20:00. The Duomo Museum, in Palazzo Reale, is open from 10:00 to 19:00 and closed on Wednesdays. Times can change for religious celebrations and bad weather, even without notice.
Tickets for the terraces and the Duomo carry a date and a time slot, with 30 minutes of tolerance before or after. The lift goes only to the first level of the terraces: the second level and the way down are on foot. In the cathedral, bare shoulders, shorts, miniskirts and hats are not allowed, and suitcases, large bags and backpacks, and umbrellas are not admitted.
These Duomo products, according to the listings read on 24 October 2026: the cathedral with the Duomo Museum, the cathedral with rooftop access by lift or stairs, rooftop access alone, fast-track versions of the rooftop entry, guided tours from 1 hour to 2 hours 30 minutes with or without the terraces, and combined tours that add La Scala, the Castle or the Last Supper. The Tickets page explains the differences. The listings give mobile tickets delivered instantly.
The FAQ covers the choice between terraces and Duomo, stairs or lift, hours and works, how to change a date on tickets bought from the Fabbrica, and what to wear.

The cathedral: facade, doors and interior

Piazza del Duomo with the cathedral on the left and the equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II on the right, a wide sky with clouds, and passers-by in the foreground.

According to the Veneranda Fabbrica, work began in 1386 where the old basilicas of Santa Maria Maggiore and Santa Tecla stood, and the Fabbrica itself was founded in October 1387 on the initiative of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, lord of Milan. It says that Candoglia marble was used instead of Lombard brick, and that it is impossible to trace the design back to a single architect.

The facade was completed between 1807 and 1813 on Napoleon's initiative, on the eve of his coronation as King of Italy, and the bronze doors were made between 1909 and 1965. The plan is a Latin cross with five naves. Pope Martin V consecrated the high altar on 16 October 1418, according to the institution.

Inside, the institution points to the presbytery, the crypt, the baptistery and the floor wanted by Carlo Borromeo, to the Quadroni of San Carlo and to the wooden choir.

The terraces, spires and statues

The cathedral roof terraces, lined with rows of marble spires topped by statues, with a central walkway leading toward the facade under a cloudy sky and a few visitors on the path.

The terraces are the cathedral's roof: walkways among the spires, 135 of them according to the institution. The Duomo counts over 3,400 statues, 150 gargoyles and 96 giants. The tallest spire, the Guglia Maggiore, was built between 1765 and 1770 under Francesco Croce.

The first level is about 31 m above the ground, with walkways along the perimeter as far as the back of the facade. From there two steep staircases lead to the second level, the central terrace, of about 1,530 m². The institution's page gives 45 m for this level, while the ticket page speaks of 50 m, so we give no exact height.

The Madonnina

The gilded Madonnina statue on top of the cathedral spire, seen from below against a pale sky, with its outstretched arm and star halo, and a metal lightning rod with cables in front of it.

The gilded statue on the Guglia Maggiore is 4.16 m tall and made of 33 copper plates. Giuseppe Perego received the commission on 17 June 1769. It was finished in 1773 and, according to the Fabbrica, stayed in the Fabbrica's building until the end of December 1774 for fear of lightning and wind, before being placed on top. The latest gilding, in 2012, used 6,750 gold leaves.

During the Five Days of 1848 Luigi Torelli and Scipione Bagaggi hoisted the tricolour on the statue, and from August 1939 to 6 May 1945 it was covered with a grey-green cloth, according to the institution. The Duomo Museum has a room for the Madonnina, with terracotta models and a full-size head carved from a single walnut trunk.

Climbing the terraces: stairs or lift

A rooftop walkway of the Milan Cathedral with statue-topped spires and scaffolding on part of the cathedral in the distance, with visitors on the terrace and a coin-operated viewer in the foreground.

There are two ways up: the stairs (251 steps, according to the ticket page) or the lift. The lift reaches only the first level; for the second level and the descent there are stairs only, and the route is one-way. Not all stairs have handrails, wheelchairs are not allowed on the terraces and strollers must be folded. Children under 12 need an adult of at least 18.

Terraces only, or Duomo plus terraces? A terraces-only ticket takes you to the roof and not into the cathedral; a Duomo-and-terraces ticket adds the cathedral. The Duomo Museum is part of neither: it comes with a Duomo + Museum ticket or with the Culture Pass, which have no terraces. The Archaeological Area can be added to a ticket that includes the Duomo. The listings below follow the same split: entry with the museum, entry with the rooftop, and the rooftop alone.

Museum, Archaeological Area and Scurolo di San Carlo

The Duomo Museum is at Piazza del Duomo 12, inside Palazzo Reale, with over 2,000 m² of display: the Treasury of the Cathedral, statues, stained glass, paintings, tapestries, architectural models, terracottas and plaster casts. It opened in 1953 and was redesigned by Guido Canali and reopened in 2013. The museum ticket includes the Church of San Gottardo in Corte.

The Archaeological Area, under the churchyard, shows the remains of the basilicas of Santa Maria Maggiore and Santa Tecla and of the Baptistery of San Giovanni alle Fonti, built from 378, where Saint Ambrose baptised Augustine in 387, according to the institution; the octagonal font is still visible. There have been works in the Baptistery since 29 January 2023. The entrance is a passage beside the main door with 27 steps.

The Scurolo di San Carlo is the crypt that keeps the relics of Charles Borromeo; it is reached by stairs and is not easily accessible.