Which Italian cathedral is the largest Gothic church in Italy?

Milan Cathedral is the largest Gothic church in Italy.

Known in Italian as the Duomo di Milano, Milan Cathedral stands in Lombardy and is dedicated to the Nativity of Saint Mary. Its construction began in 1386 under Gian Galeazzo Visconti, when Milan’s rulers sought a monumental cathedral worthy of the city’s political and religious importance.

The building is notable for its vast scale, pale Candoglia-marble exterior, forest of pinnacles, openwork spires, and thousands of sculptures. Although its overall appearance is Gothic, the project lasted nearly six centuries, so Renaissance and later elements also appear. The cathedral was not fully completed until 1965.

The wording “in Italy” can cause a geographic mix-up. St. Peter’s Basilica is larger, but it is in Vatican City, a separate sovereign state, and is not a Gothic church. Milan Cathedral is therefore the standard answer for the largest Gothic church in the Italian Republic. Florence Cathedral and Siena Cathedral are major Italian Gothic landmarks, but neither matches Milan’s combination of size and Gothic character.