Gazing up at the Madonnina, perched atop Milan Cathedral, I want to share a story about this golden statue. The Madonnina isn’t just a religious figure. It’s the heart and soul of Milan.
Back in 1762, architect Francesco Croce had a vision. He wanted to top the Great Spire with a statue of the Virgin Mary. Giuseppe Perego, a sculptor, was chosen to bring this vision to life. By 1769, Perego presented three different solutions for the statue.
Giuseppe Antignati helped with the statue’s construction. Varino, a blacksmith, created the supporting armor. Goldsmith Giuseppe Bini hammered copper plates onto a wooden model. Anton Raphael Mengs advised using 156 booklets of pure gold for gilding.
In 1773, the Madonnina was complete. It wasn’t placed right away though. People feared lightning and wind. Finally, in the last days of December 1774, it was placed atop the Duomo.
There she stood watching over Milan. In August 1939 as World War II loomed, the Madonnina was covered in grey-green cloth. This was to prevent bombers from using it as a target. For five long years, she remained hidden. On May 6, 1945, Cardinal Schuster removed the cloth.
Between June and July 1967, the Madonnina underwent restoration. The copper sheets were removed and re-gilded. The internal iron core was replaced with stainless steel. The original core is now in a museum. The last re-gilding happened in 2012 during the restoration of the Great Spire.
The Madonnina is more than just a statue. It stands 4.16 meters tall. It is covered with 33 copper plates. The slabs weigh 399.200 kg. The stainless steel structure weighs 584.800 kg. The last gilding used 6750 sheets of pure gold.
During the “Five Days” revolt of 1848, Luigi Torelli and Scipione Bagaggi raised the Italian flag on the Madonnina. This signaled the Austrian troops’ evacuation. It emboldened the city and awakened the pride of the barricade fighters.
Even today, the Italian flag flies on the halberd to the right of the Madonnina. This happens during solemn religious and civil events.
The Madonnina watches over Milan every day. Buildings in Milan cannot be taller than the Madonnina. When the Pirelli Building was built, a smaller replica of the Madonnina was placed on top. Replicas were also placed on top of the Palazzo Lombardia and the Allianz Tower. The Madonnina always occupies the highest roof in the city. The Madonnina is the symbol of Milan.