The Duke of Milan, Gian Galeazzo Visconti, who united considerable territories in his power, greatly contributed to the heyday of Milan. His greatest merit is the construction of a cathedral in the city. Construction work began in 1386. True, the German architects involved in the project did not find a common language with the Italian.
Friction began from the moment of laying the first stone. Italian architects did not like the arrogant remarks of the newly arrived Germans; they often entered into disputes with them, which only the duke himself could resolve. These unjustified lawsuits slowed down construction, led to frequent changes of architects and workers who did not understand what they wanted from them. After the death of the Duke of Visconti, the Germans participating in the construction were disposed of, but the Gothic style in the construction was still preserved.
At the request of the Duke of Visconti, the cathedral began to be erected from white marble. This rock was very well suited for the exterior cladding of the cathedral. The polished stone not only shone from the rays of the sun, but also from the brilliance of the moon. Marble was brought from different places in Italy, bought abroad. But there was not enough money for the construction, so I had to organize donation collections. The most beautiful girls of Milan were engaged in this. They took mugs and flowers into their own hands, dressed in white robes and moved to the main streets of the city and its environs with the sounds of drums and flutes in order to raise funds for construction.
Another problem was also observed - a shortage of workers. I had to turn to citizens with a request to work out several days at an important construction site of the city. Citizens responded to this call, and the construction site revived. Nevertheless, the temple was built very slowly, it was ready only in the second half of the XV century.
The cathedral could accommodate about 40 thousand people. The construction turned out to be the second largest after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Today, the Cathedral of Milan is the fourth largest in the world and is a late Gothic miracle, which is decorated with over 3.5 thousand marble sculptures, pointed towers and columns from the outside and from the inside.
Milan Cathedral is considered the European record holder for long-term construction - the last stone was laid in it in 1906. In total, the cathedral was built over 520 years.
