2026 has only just begun, but it promises to be a year full of challenges and achievements – some of which have already been realised thanks to the support and generosity shown by those who donated to our cause.
We would like to take you through the restoration projects that have marked the past year and thank you, as every contribution – however small but consistent – helps us to plan future projects with greater determination.Inside the building site: a look at the restoration work on Milan Cathedral.
Inside the restoration site: a closer Look at the restorations of Milan Cathedral
THE EXTERIOR
Anyone who has walked along Corso Vittorio Emanuele in the last few months will have noticed a new construction site stretching along the entire north side of the cathedral.
Monitoring of this large structure suggests that the time has now come to carry out work on its surfaces, almost sixty years after the last maintenance, particularly given that this is the side most exposed to the elements. The first few months of 2025 saw the actual commencement of all cleaning operations.
During 2024, work also began on the complete reconstruction of apse spire no. 17, following extensive monitoring; this is a positive development because, like all the apse spires, it plays a significant role in containing the thrust exerted by the vaulted structures, which is more pronounced in the apse than in any other part of the Cathedral. The different parts of the spire, which have already been replicated, will be completely replaced during the year as they are in too critical a condition to consider proceeding with restoration alone.
THE INTERIORS
Work on the Chapter Sacristy is proceeding as planned: to date, the restoration of the entrance portal has been completed, revealing the splendid work of Hans Von Fernach, featuring sculptures depicting a series of Gospel stories surmounted by the Madonna of Mercy. The restoration of the interior wooden fixtures, however, will continue throughout this year.
In early 2025, two 16th-century masterpieces were also repositioned within the cathedral: the famous statue of Saint Bartholomew by Marco d’Agrate, now situated in the choir area of the cathedral, and the statue depicting Christ at the Column by Cristoforo Solari, in the south transept.
The two sculptures were covered in numerous thick layers of surface deposits. The cleaning of the surfaces, fortunately a minimally invasive process, now allows us to admire the incredible beauty of these two works of art and their meticulous details, such as the precision of the tendons and muscle bundles in Saint Bartholomew and the anatomical construction of Christ at the Column, which echoes the styles of Michelangelo and Leonardo.
However, the restoration work carried out by the Veneranda Fabbrica does not only concern works of art in the strictest sense of the term, but also the cathedral’s liturgical furnishings. In fact, during 2025, the cathedral’s monumental Easter candelabrum, also known as the Ciloster, was cleaned.
Used during the Easter liturgy, it was by then in a very poor state of condition, with a thick layer of dust on the surface, numerous areas where the gilding had lifted and flaked off. All the metal parts were attached to the iron frame with screws that showed clear signs of rust. The work site was set up inside the Cathedral so that the restoration work could also be seen by tourists visiting the Monumental Complex.
If you would like to continue supporting the centuries-old history of the Cathedral
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Further Information:
Donations Office
Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano
Via Carlo Maria Martini, 1 – 20122 Milano
Freephone number: 800.528.477 (Italy only)
[email protected]
