Save The Beauty Save the Saint

I. I. (March 27, 2015)
The Duomo of Milan has been a mecca for centuries and continues to draw around 6 million visitors annually. But maintaining this timeless Cathedral’s original beauty requires many intense, costly restoration jobs. The goal of the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, also thanks to the help of International Patrons of Duomo di Milano, is to collect 13,5 million Euros, so as to end the more urgent restoration activities. Today significant results have been reached and about 5 million Euros have been collected, over 500,000 Euros coming from small donations. In 2015 it will be revamped again, and, thanks to the construction efforts of the Veneranda Fabbrica, the Cathedral will be looking its best for the Universal Exposition opening in Milan this spring. This will be a unique occasion to participate in a great restoration project and to leave a mark in the history of the Cathedral. By adopting a spire, you will allow future generations to keep enjoying the Italian artistic and cultural heritage. That’s why we’re bringing you this story, in the hope that you too will want to participate in safeguarding the Duomo and its treasures, starting with the restoration of the statue dedicated to Mother Cabrini, the Milan-born saint, popular New York missionary and patron saint of emigrants around the world.



The fifth largest church in the world and the largest in Italy, Milan’s Duomo is a special, magisterial site. Built in several phases over six centuries, beginning at the end of the 1300s, the church has long fascinated believers and non-believers of all denominations. Its 3,400 statues and 135 spires make it the largest outdoor sculpture gallery in the world. No visitor could ever forget the profile of the Duomo in the distance, soaring over Milan, thanks in large part to its original spires. No other church has so many. But the spires, typical components of Gothic architecture, are also very fragile. They require constant care and complex maintenance work to ensure their safety. The mobilization to find sufficient funds for the job has led to a new crowdfunding initiative in New York by International Patrons of Duomo di Milano (www. duomopatrons.org) on the crowdfunding platform For Italy (www.foritaly.org).


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