Seeing the Historical Doumo

Dann is one of those people that really enjoy historical sites, so when the option to go inside the Doumo came up, he was excited and wanted to see it. As someone who’s not a huge fan of religion, I wasn’t as bothered about going inside, personally. It’s worth noting that you need to dress modestly to go inside the Doumo, which means your knees need to be covered and you cannot wear straps or low-necked items. As a warning, there are also a lot of scam sites out there that can try to trick you into purchasing tickets there, so make sure you are using the official site.

Inside the Doumo

Going into the Doumo didn’t take long at all. We booked up a time slot and was there in time for it, went through bag search and the check to make sure we were modest, and then went right inside. The first moment of being inside though was impressive. It’s massive; the high ceilings, the stained glass windows. There is a lot to take in! Many people inside were praying in different areas or walking around doing tours, but we went around at our own pace. There is an audio tour that’s complementary, but you do need to whisper as you walk around. You can take lots of pictures of the different religious statues and artwork around the sides.

I can see how the inside of the Doumo can be such a big impact for those that are religious. There are some confession booths that look neat as well as lots of statues around the edges. The main area at the front, where sermons are still held, is extremely intricate and impressive to see. It is worth noting there are no bathrooms inside the Doumo and you do need to go out and walk around the side, not allowing you to re-enter.

Under the Doumo

There are three add-on tickets that can be purchased for the Doumo. One for the crypt, one for the ruins, and one for the room. We purchased the latter two and went inside the ruins first. This felt very historical, showcasing items and tiles that have been dug up from the base, which has shifted over time. The old ruins of the Doumo have been studied, as the land has changed in the area, and you can see a lot of the outlines of what was once there. It was very neat seeing all of the different items they’ve found previously when restoring the place.

On top of the Doumo

I was most excited about going to the top of the Doumo. There are actually two of these types of tickets, one to take the stairs and the other to take the lift. We got the lift ticket and went into the lift with a bunch of strangers. They don’t cram this full or anything! We then got to walk all around the Doumo from the top. The view of the rest of Milan was absolutely stunning and you could see the mountains with snow on top in the distance. The weather was perfect, nice and warm. There isn’t a set time that you need to leave the roof either, allowing you to explore freely. We walked around the first level, which had hidden areas where you could see statues and lots of detailed work done on the outside, before climbing up a few stairs to the next level which had the top roof that you could walk around. This was such a bucket list thing, it was stunning! Around the outside edge, you can see the restoration process which was currently going on as well.

You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!