If you have the chance to make it to Milan, definitely make plans to see il Duomo. And if you make it to il Duomo, then definitely plan on getting the entire tour package which includes going up to the rooftop of il Duomo, going to the basement of il Duomo to see some of the excavated area, and going over to the museum. The Museo del Duomo is a remarkable display of Catholic statuettes. The museum isn't heavy on historical Catholicism itself, few and far between are the trinkets and coins, and other artifacts from Jesus' time. There's a couple of golden crosses from the middle ages, some gold statuettes of Mary and the Holy Child, and even some antiquity wood carvings. More so it is a museum dedicated to the construction of il Duomo and the thousands of statues that make up the il Duomo. So what you have are lots of paintings of catholic martyrs, and lots and lots of statues of historical Christianity. These are done in plaster, and marble, and feature some really dramatic scenes. John the Baptist, Peter, Paul and many of the Apostles. Of course Mary makes several appearances with the Baby Jesus. There are other lesser known biblical members as well, such as a large relief of Judith and Holofernes, as she is cutting off his head. And it's pretty detailed, and classic Italian.  Yikes! #MeToo!

The cool thing is that many of the statues are life-size. This gives you an incredible feeling as if you were walking back in time with these historical figures.  There’s nothing that puts the faith in you like standing next to a life-size statue of John the Baptist. He looks so peaceful, such a cool guy. The statues, of course, are played up for Catholicism, but they are fun nonetheless and the museum is a real joy to walk through. Also included for display are the rain spout that top il Duomo. These spouts are very intricate in their detailing. Interesting, since these spouts are located a hundred or so above the ground and are far out of eye sight. Even taking the rooftop tour, many people were not noticing them as they are out of the normal line of sight, but very intriguing to see from a view above the crowds below.

The museum was dedicated back in 1953, no doubt it has been updated since then. As you leave the main museum, there is a replica of il Duomo, which allows you to take in the enormity of the build in one view. And amazingly enough, the complexity and intricacy of this replica does not match that of the full building, which is amazing. As you leave, you see that there are actually 2 sections of the museum. The traditional depicted here, and then there is a museum temple outside, that contains a church with a beautiful sanctuary for prayer. This area is very reserved, very quiet with an attendant to remind people of the holiness and to keep it quiet. Outside of this church sanctuary section is a courtyard with the remnant of an ancient Roman trestle.  It is definitely worth the time and money to visit, especially if you are a statu-ista and really want to take in the full force of il Duomo and it's thousands of statues. Not going to the museum is like getting a hamburger with no lettuce  or tomato. It’s still a hamburger, but it’s just not as good.