Details Please on Milan Duomo Rooftop

You can see it on video and know exactly what to expect. Here is one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnYAmrI6YJA

I don't have fear of heights so I can't address that. The video Valadelphia linked gives a very good sense of what the roof is like. In my experience, I don't think there is anywhere where you would feel you would or even could topple off because there are stone or marble bannisters and statues blocking you from the edge. However, there are few level areas; as you back away from the edge you are on a gently sloped surface. If someone is feeling uncomfortable walking around, they could just sit for a while to take in the view. I hope this helps.

I have a medium fear of heights.
Loved the Duomo rooftop. Walked up the 259 steps. No queue.
We could see Switzerland because Milano was devoid of traffic due to Covid.

Hi Mary Ellen,
My husband and I did a terrace rooftop tour last summer, and it was fantastic. I have a fear of heights as well. There were a few places where the surface was slanted, but there were walls all the way around, and there was no point where I felt nervous. The views of the spires are incredible. I can't figure out how to add a picture, but being up there was one of our favorite things. The nave of the Duomo is interesting, but less showy. There is also a crypt underneath that has the ruins of an 8-sided baptistry that goes back to the 4th century where Ambrose baptized Augustine.

I have a fear of heights but felt I wanted to do this.

I did not find the actual roof too bad as you could stand back from the edges on a flat walkway and there is stone wall that felt sturdy. Where I did have a problem is that there is a double length staircase going up to the top part of the roof that does not have railings AND overlooks the front of the cathedral so you are looking thru stone tracery to the ground. I got up there but thought I might not be able to get down, lol. I finally waited to descend the stairs until a group of people went down and I was OK as long as I could look at someone else's back.

I did not have to do this but if people had not headed down I was going to pick out a couple of younger folks and ask for help. In a last ditch effort I could have gone down the stairs on my butt.

As far as I could tell this is a one way system and you really could not double back to the elevator.

I only made myself do this because a great grandfather immigrated from a small town north of Milan and one of the family stories was that he "went to the big church in Milan on Sundays". Well, he could not possibly have walked the 25 miles to the Duomo every Sunday so I expect he went a few times for special days. ANYway, I wanted to go up there to see what he might have seen.

I will add that while it was cool and I had a specific reason to go up there, once was enough and if they are going to be anxious it is a "missable" site in my fear-of-heights opinion!

I apologize for hijacking this thread, but I want to ask Pam a question about the Duomo rooftop tour. We will be in Milan in May, and we would like to do the rooftop tour. Our problem is not a fear of heights. You mention that the stairs don't have railings. I don't have good balance, and I always hold on to railings while going up and down stairs. Did you find this to be a problem? I am happy to hear other opinions as well. Milan is our first stop so it would be awful if one of us fell and injured an ankle. Or am I worrying too much?
Thank you!

Thank you everyone, this has been very helpful. Special thanks to Pam for being so detailed-that is exactly the sort of feedback I was hoping for.

There are high walls between the roof and the open drop of 100 ft to the Piazza. Unless you are an idiot and climb on these walls, you are perfectly safe. There are signs all over telling you not to climb or sit on the walls. We did the roof; it was fabulous.

There is an elevator up. A lot of people take that, although you can climb. There is also an elevator down. They restrict access to the down elevator. I think that if you have a balance problem, you can take the elevator down. We walked down (I was 70, wife 74) with no problems.

"Our problem is not a fear of heights. You mention that the stairs don't have railings. I don't have good balance, and I always hold on to railings while going up and down stairs. Did you find this to be a problem?"

@kmkwoo: I have fairly good balance and I work on balance for a few months before every trip by using a BOSU and now on a rebounder. I still hold on to railings on stairs. On the flights up to the top area and then down, I had my hand on the inside wall the whole way. No way could I walk up the side with the stone tracery even though it is sturdy...it's the visual that bothers me. Carry lots of WetOnes hand wipes with you, lol, to clean your hands after!

"Unless you are an idiot and climb on these walls, you are perfectly safe."

I completely understand this statement BUT while my intellectual center can process this my fear of heights center cannot.

"Unless you are an idiot and climb on these walls, you are perfectly safe."

I completely understand this statement BUT while my intellectual center can process this my fear of heights center cannot.

Exactly. With a fear of heights, there's a difference between knowing the structure is safe and feeling safe.

Pam, thank you so much. Having never been there, it's difficult to visualize what the rooftop and stairs look like, so I wasn't sure what is on either side of the stairs. I will definitely be holding on to the wall!

The Duomo rooftop was fantastic. There were, however, a few things that were a bit unexpected and scary:

The slanted parts. You can stay on the level walkway but you will definitely miss some things if you do.
How blazing hot and unshaded it was (it was July).
How many children were running around. Watching them horsing around near the walls made me rather nervous. I also got jostled a few times and I remember thinking "I'm glad I'm not afraid of heights."