No symbol of Milan is more beloved than the Madonnina, the gilded copper statue of the Virgin that crowns the cathedral’s highest spire. Created in 1774 by the goldsmith Giuseppe Bini and sculptor Giuseppe Perego, the statue stands over four meters tall. Its surface, covered in gold leaf, catches the Lombard sun.
The museum preserves the original iron framework (now replaced on the cathedral by stainless steel) that supported the statue as well as preparatory models (bozzetti) showing Perego’s evolving design. These reveal the careful planning behind the Virgin’s graceful turn, which gives the impression of movement in the wind.
(A full-size copy from 2015 is in the courtyard between the Duomo museum and San Gottardo church.)