Milan Cathedral, dedicated to the Nativity of St. Mary, was begun in 1386 under Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo. His cousin Gian Galeazzo Visconti supported the project with donations and tax-exempt marble. The final details were completed only in 1965, when the last portal was inaugurated.
The building is Gothic, with Renaissance and neo-Gothic elements, and is made of brick faced with Candoglia marble. It is 520 feet (158.6 m) long and 302 feet (92 m) wide, and it holds 40,000 people. The Madonnina spire rises 356 feet (108.5 m), and the roof bristles with 135 spires. Inside the cupola are four series of 15 statues.
Napoleon ordered the facade finished in 1805, and it was completed within seven years. Visitors can walk on the roof for a fee.
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