The Duomo, Milan's cathedral, is one of the largest churches in the world; is a surprisingly elegant mass of marble boasting 135 spires and 3,400 statues. Commissioned in 1386, by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the Duomo was not finished until the early 1800s.

One of the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, Milan's Duomo has a population of 6,000 statues, a solemn and lofty interior resembling a sequoia forest, giant multi-colored stained-glass windows and works of art to make any museum green with envy.

It's the seat of the one and only Roman Catholic diocese which - following its patron, Sant'Ambrogio still keeps to an ancient calendar of its own. Which is why Milan is still going wild with its Carnival when the rest of the world has started Lent...