Milan Cathedral, evening visits to terraces and tours to Candoglia quarry kick off

Important news for the summer at the Duomo di Milano. In fact, the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo is once again proposing an extraordinary visit opportunity this year. From June 2, 2022, every Thursday until July 28, visitors to the Duomo can enjoy the opportunity to go up to the Terraces, by elevator (tickets at 15 euros, 7 the reduced one) until 10 p.m. (last ascent is at 9:10 p.m.). For the occasion, Ticket Office 1 - Sala delle Colonne (Piazza del Duomo, 14/a) will also remain open until 9 p.m. For the Veneranda Fabbrica, it is “an experience to be had at least once in one’s life to discover evocative views and perspectives towards the city, in safety and in compliance with all applicable health regulations, with the possibility of admiring at dusk the 135 spires, ornaments, statuary, the Madonnina and all those architectural preciousness that make the Duomo the most resplendent civitas firma of Gothic beauty.”

Indeed, the statues of the Duomo at dusk seem to come alive and free themselves from their anchors, “whispering in your ear ancient and secret stories,” as the poet Heinrich Heine warned nearly two centuries ago. Thus, after last year’s great success, this summer’s evening time visit will be enriched with an additional value: at sunset, from about 8:30 p.m., live musical accompaniment will guide the steps of all present among the lofty spires of the Cathedral. It begins on June 9 with Rustem Smagulov’s Cello Suite No. 1 in G major BWV 1007 by Johann Sebastian Bach. On June 5, starring in the musical moment between the spires will be Michela Passera on violin and Ilgaz Duman on flute, with Enrico Morricone’s Gabriel’s oboe (from The Mission), Luigi Boccherini’s Minuetto from The Four Seasons - Autumn, Antonio Vivaldi’s Allegro, Aria of the “Queen of the Night” from The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Allegro from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Serenade in G major K 525 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

There will also be a brand new offering this year: on Tuesday, June 14 and Tuesday, July 12 from 6 p.m.30, in fact, the Veneranda Fabbrica is offering the opportunity to visit the Museo del Duomo (Piazza del Duomo, 12) during extraordinary opening hours, with an aperitif in the inner courtyard where the reproduction of the famous Madonnina is currently located, followed by an intense concert by the Cappella Musicale del Duomo, conducted by Monsignor Massimo Palombella, in the neighboring Church of San Gottardo in Corte. It is an opportunity to hear, in the heart of the Royal Palace, the voices of this very ancient ensemble, whose voice has been resonating in Milan Cathedral for centuries, with a Renaissance repertoire performed in its aesthetic relevance. Among many composers, pages by Orlando di Lasso, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Tomás Luis de Victoria and Felice Anerio will be performed. This event has a limited seating capacity, with tickets priced at €25.00.

During the aperitif, it will also be possible to enjoy Vino del Duomo, made exclusively for the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo. Finally, to discover the universe of stone and prayer of the Duomo of Milan, the Veneranda Fabbrica every Thursday, in conjunction with the evening opening of the Terraces, organizes an exclusive one-hour guided tour. All information can be found on the Duomo di Milano website.

Finally, from Friday, June 3, 2022, the Candoglia Quarry, where the marble of the Duomo has been quarried for more than six centuries, located at the mouth of the Ossola Valley on the border with Piedmont, will finally reopen for guided tours. In fact, the Veneranda Fabbrica is offering tours to discover this mountain where it all began, with an itinerary to retrace all the fascination of the marble routes and relive the great work of workers and stonemasons, for centuries engaged in the construction and maintenance of the Cathedral, symbol of Milan. The initiative is also possible thanks to the collaboration of the Municipality of Mergozzo (Verbania). It was Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, who decided to replace the brick, originally intended for the construction of the Cathedral in the initial project, with marble. For this purpose, on October 24, 1387, he gave the Candoglia Quarry in exclusive use to the Veneranda Fabbrica and granted free transportation of the marble to Milan via water roads. The narrow vein width of this marble made its extraction difficult and expensive. This unknown, however, never stopped the momentum of the Fabbrica, which still faces the great undertaking of preserving the Monument with responsibility, taking care of the cultivation and maintenance of the Quarry through the employment of highly qualified personnel and with the support of technologies. The calendar of openings has been posted online, and reservations can already be made.

Milan Cathedral, evening visits to terraces and tours to Candoglia quarry kick off

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.