Duomo di Milan - Stairs down from the Terrace

As long as their knees are OK with going down stairs, and they don not have balance issues, it should not be difficult.

We are seniors who have been trying to get an accurate description of this as well (without success). Even asking if there are handrails in these staircases has resulted in mixed answers. Some swear there are, some say there are none? Even Youtubing has not been definitive.

Well, I do not remember about the handrails and I do not have pictures from inside the stairwell you take down. It is a newer staircase and is square with landings if that helps at all. I stopped a few times and let faster younger legs pass me.

I will add that the lift only takes you so far to a first level terrace and then you have to climb what was an open to the weather double length staircase up to the flat-ish rooftop. I have a fear of heights and this bothered me but I forced myself thru it. It has open stone tracery from which you can view the piazza below. It did not have actual hand rails but I stayed on the inside (stairs are one way up or down) and held onto the stone. Going down which bothers me more, I followed some others down do my view "out" was partially obscured.

I will look to see if I can find a youtube of this part of the roof access. I will also add that I did this 2 years ago at age 73. I don't have knee issues, just the aforementioned height fear.

I was glad I went as I really wanted to see close ups of the spires which are just fantastic.

OK,here is a video of going up the stairs but the corresponding down stair well looks the same. I do not see a handrail. He does not show the final staircase to the upper level of the roof.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEnfKv_CRVc

We had a guided tour of the Duomo in December with a Duomo provided guide. My mother is very active but has difficulty going down stairs due to arthritis in her knees. Our guide said goodbye to the rest of our family approximately half way around the roof terrace, and she and my mother went down the elevator to the cathedral, where we met her.

In my opinion the Duomo stairs were easier than going down the stairs of St Peter's dome. However, the Duomo would have been difficult for my mother due to her arthritis.

I am a fit 65 y/o who did this in October last year. There is a handrail until about the 1st quarter of the way down the stairs. You can put your hands on the walls where there are no handrails after that. The only thing that bothered me was it was 85 degrees outside, which made it really stuffy. I took the lift up. If it is really crowded, people are going at a pretty fast pace down the stairs. The good news is that we were on the non-sunny side of the top for the walk around up there.

Thanks everyone. We will be visiting the duomo on the very first day of a month-long vacation so I think it would be wise not do something that might spoil the rest of my trip.