The statue of the Virgin Mary, popularly known as the Madonnina, is an emblematic symbol that crowns the Milan Duomo.
Below, we will detail its history and its religious and technical symbolism, explaining architectural data of this golden sculpture that one can observe when visiting the cathedral rooftop.
The Madonnina stands at the top of the Milan Duomo, located at Piazza del Duomo, 14, 20122, in Milan, Italy.
Specifically, the figure sits upon the highest point of the cathedral, the Great Spire (guglia maggiore), designed by Francesco Croce. This privileged position allows the image to remain visible from multiple points in the city, establishing itself as the visual and spiritual axis of the metropolis.
To observe the sculpture closely, visitors must climb to the Duomo rooftop. Access to the highest area of the roof (limited for people with reduced mobility) allows a proximity that one cannot obtain from ground level, facilitating the appreciation of the reliefs and the gilding of the work.
Because it sits outdoors at the top of the building, the Madonnina is visible 24 hours a day. At night, the statue maintains a dedicated lighting system that highlights its silhouette.
The creation of the Madonnina dates back to the second half of the 18th century. The sculptor Giuseppe Perego designed the original model in 1773. The technical execution fell to the goldsmith Giuseppe Bini, who modeled the forms, and the copper-beater Anton Maria Gavazzi, who shaped the metal sheets.
The work officially debuted on December 30, 1774, when workers raised the gilded copper statue to the top of the cathedral’s main spire at a height of 108.5 meters. From that moment, an unwritten rule dictated that no construction in Milano could exceed the height of the Virgin so as not to diminish her role as the maximum protector visible from every point.
During World War II, the Madonnina acquired a fundamental meaning of survival for the citizens. To prevent its golden glow from serving as a reference point for Allied bombers during night attacks, officials covered the statue with gray cloths for five years. The day of its uncovering at the end of the war was considered the symbolic moment of the city’s liberation and the start of Milan’s moral reconstruction.
The statue also starred in the “patriotic baptism” of 1848 during the historical episode known as the 5 Days of Milan. On March 20 of that year, the patriots Luigi Torelli and Scipione Bagaggi raised the Italian tricolor flag in the arms of the Virgin to announce the retreat of Austrian troops. This act turned the religious figure into an emblem of civil resistance and Italian nationalism.
In 1960, the construction of the Pirelli Skyscraper (known as the Pirellone) posed a historical challenge to Milanese tradition, as its 127-meter height exceeded the 108.5 meters of the Duomo’s Madonnina for the first time. To prevent the building from “disrespecting” the city’s protector and to symbolically comply with the old rule, Cardinal Montini (the future Pope Paul VI) and city officials agreed to place the first exact replica of the statue at the highest point of the new building.
Thus, the Virgin maintained her position of dominance over the Milan sky, starting a custom that repeats today whenever a new skyscraper claims the title of the city’s tallest.
Photo: “Pirellone” by Luca Galli.
In 1967, workers dismantled the statue due to structural integrity problems. Technical exams revealed that the original iron skeleton had corroded dangerously from exposure to the elements. To ensure its long-term conservation, technicians replaced the internal frame with one made of stainless steel. This intervention ensures the stability of the sculpture against oxidation and wind, allowing its permanent stay on the spire.
Palazzo Lombardia, the seat of the regional government of Lombardy, marked a milestone in 2010 by becoming the first 21st-century skyscraper to displace the historic Pirelli as the highest point in Milan at 161 meters. Following the custom started in 1960, authorities placed a copy of the golden statue on its peak to ensure that the civil and political power of the region remained symbolically under the guardianship of the Madonnina.
This replica is particularly significant because it represented the renewal of the city’s commitment to its spiritual roots amid the urban transformation of the Porta Nuova area.
Photo: “Palazzo Lombardia Milan” by Conte di Cavour.
The Allianz Tower, designed by architect Arata Isozaki and nicknamed “Il Dritto” (The Straight One), became the building with the highest roof in Italy upon its completion in 2015, reaching 209 meters.
To honor the centuries-old Milanese tradition, officials installed the third faithful replica of the Madonnina on its rooftop, which Cardinal Angelo Scola blessed before its hoisting; currently, this figure holds the title of the Virgin located at the highest altitude in the entire city skyline.
Photo: “Allianz@Milan” by Paolo.
The theological meaning of the Madonnina represents the Assumption. The statue of the Virgin Mary appears with open arms and her gaze directed toward the sky. This posture symbolizes her role as an intercessor who asks for God’s blessing for the city located at her feet. The arrangement of the hands suggests both a welcome to the faithful and a divine plea.
One of the most distinctive elements is the halberd that the Virgin holds. Although it visually camouflages a cross, its original purpose is functional: it serves as an active lightning rod. Designers conceived this element to “fight” storms and protect the physical integrity of the cathedral from electrical impacts. Semantically, this element symbolizes that the Virgin deflects both physical and spiritual evil from the inhabitants.
The term Madonnina is the affectionate diminutive in Italian for the Virgin Mary, which translates as “little Madonna” or “little Virgin.” Despite its large actual size, the distance from the ground makes it appear small, hence its name. In the cultural sphere, the saying All’ombra della Madonnina (“In the shadow of the Madonnina”) is famous, used by Milanese people to refer to life within the city and under her symbolic protection.
As mentioned previously, to see the Madonnina closer, one must climb to the Duomo rooftop. Access to the terrace allows visitors to stand at a much shorter distance than from the square, although the statue remains on the central spire and no one can touch it.
We recommend purchasing the specific ticket for the rooftop to appreciate the details of the gilding and the structure itself.
Photo: “La Madonnina, Duomo di Milano” by Ham II.
The football match between AC Milan and Inter Milan receives this name in honor of the statue that presides over the city. As it is the most recognizable symbol of Milan, the Derby della Madonnina uses this name to highlight the local identity of both clubs.
We recommend dedicating at least 45 minutes exclusively to the terrace area. This time allows you to walk through the different levels of the roof, observe the details of the great spire where the statue is located, and contemplate the panorama of the city from that height.
The Madonnina consists of gilded copper sheets. It is not solid gold, as the weight would collapse the Duomo spire. The exterior coating consists of thousands of sheets of pure gold leaf, which workers renew periodically to maintain its characteristic shine against corrosion.
It consists of the cleaning and maintenance of the gilding, as well as specific liturgical acts on Marian festivities. The main days of celebration and tribute are:
No, access for people with reduced mobility is limited. An elevator exists, but it does not reach all levels of the terrace. As a Reddit user indicates: “there are multiple levels to the terrace so the lift will take you to the lowest level and if you want to keep going up you take the stairs.” The Madonnina is located at the highest part, so a person in a wheelchair or with reduced mobility cannot reach this level of the Duomo terrace.
No, the standard ticket for the interior of the cathedral does not include access to the rooftops. To see the statue from a short distance, it is necessary to purchase a specific ticket that guarantees access to the terrace, either via the stairs or the elevator.
To reach the upper part and see the Madonnina up close, you must first reach Piazza del Duomo using the M1 (red) or M3 (yellow) metro lines, getting off at the “Duomo” station. Once in the square, the ascent toward the top takes place through the exterior side of the cathedral, where the entrances to the terraces are located.
Two methods exist to reach the upper level: the use of the elevators located in the buttresses or the climb on foot through the stairs, which consists of approximately 250 steps. Once on the first level of the roof, you must walk along the stone walkways that lead to the central section, the highest area allowed to the public, located just below the great spire where the Madonnina stands.
