After a quick shower we started our 30 minute walk to the Duomo. Wanting full bellies for our Duomo tour we stopped at a small shop for a panzerotti – a savory turnover that originated in Central and Southern Italian cuisine which resembles a small calzone -and cappuccino.

Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) is the main cathedral of Milan dedicated to the Nativity of St Mary (Santa Maria Nascente) and is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan.

The cathedral 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 possibly the second largest in Europe and the third largest in the world.

Construction of the cathedral began in 1386 and took over 6 centuries to complete. Its architecture is flamboyant gothic and boasts 135 spires, 3400 marble statues, 200 bas-reliefs, 55 stained-glass windows, 96 gargoyles, many flying buttresses and a golden statue of the Madonnina – representing the Virgin Mary – measuring 108.5 m in height.

The polychrome marble floor that sweeps across 12,000 sq metres was designed by Pellegrino Tibaldi and took 40 years to complete.

We were able to stroll on the rooftop terraces, meander through the interior and tour the original baptistery located under the main cathedral. It was breathtaking!

Once we completed our tour of the Duomo we passed through the piazza del duomo to enter the Galleria de Vittorio Emmanuel II. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Italy’s oldest active shopping gallery and a major landmark in Milan and is named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. It was designed in 1861 and built by architect Giuseppe Mengoni between 1865 and 1877.

Next stop was the statue of Leonardo di Vinci in front of City Hall and the “La Scala” theatre. The most prestigious opera house in the world.

After a siesta at the apartment we decided to head back to the Duomo neighbourhood to see it at night and to find a place to eat.