It is often said that the works of the Duomo (Cathedral) will never be finished; an apt metaphor for the proverbial industriousness of the Milanese and, at the same time, for the complexity of the architectural work. It took many, many years to construct the cathedral and this was followed by the continuous maintenance which this very special edifice merits. The museum, dedicated to the cathedral and begun in 1953, was born of idea to put to use the materials utilized for the design and construction of the Duomo, rather than allowing them go to waste. Numerous objects of interest, such as statues, tapestries, embossed pieces, terracotta scale models, graphic material, paintings and wooden models, are all precious testimony that documents the history of the construction of the cathedral, the point of reference in the civil and religious life in Milan. The museum offers, in particular, a Lombard art collection that covers the period from end of the 14th century up until to present times and is also a site for lectures, exhibitions and concerts promoted by the administration of the Fabbrica del Duomo (organization responsible for the management of cathedral property).
It is possible to admire some of the models in wood that were used during the construction of the cathedral. Of particular interest is the “Modellone”, entrusted in 1519 to Bernardino Zenale, which attests to the progression of the construction at that time.