A marble façade and Juvarra's dome, minutes from the lake
Photo: Andreas M · Unsplash License · source
Why go
Construction began in 1396 and went on, with long interruptions, for centuries, so the cathedral reads as a short course in Lombard architecture. The façade, built between 1457 and 1486 in Musso marble, is late Gothic and Renaissance at once, and most of its sculpture is the work of the Rodari family. Inside, the plan is a Latin cross about 87 metres long, crowned by Juvarra's dome, which rises 75 metres.
The setting is part of the pleasure. Piazza del Duomo is a few minutes' walk from the lake, beside the medieval Broletto, so the cathedral fits naturally into a morning in the old town. Inside you will find nine tapestries woven in Ferrara, Florence and Brussels at the end of the 16th century, and paintings by Bernardino Luini and Gaudenzio Ferrari. Allow forty-five minutes to an hour for the visit.
Gallery
Photo: Andreas M · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Renáta Ferencz · Pexels License · source
Photo: C1 Superstar · Pexels License · source
Photo: Nazrin Babashova · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Steffen Lemmerzahl · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Azzedine Rouichi · Unsplash License · source
Highlights
Stand in the square and look up. The façade was built between 1457 and 1486, and its sculptures are largely by the Rodari family; the rose window was completed in 1486. Notice how Gothic pinnacles and Renaissance detail sit together. In the afternoon the Musso marble takes on a warm tone, and the square fills with café tables and strollers.
Either side of the main portal, in their own niches, stand Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, both natives of Como. Tommaso Rodari carved the figures and the niches around 1480, and the reliefs and inscriptions date from 1498. It is unusual to see two Roman writers honoured like saints on a cathedral front, and it says a lot about Como's civic pride.
Inside, look for the tapestries woven in Ferrara, Florence and Brussels in the 16th and 17th centuries, which are hung in the church, and for the altarpieces by Bernardino Luini and Gaudenzio Ferrari. These are the highlights of the nave and transept; allow time to walk the aisles slowly, as the light changes the colours of the cloth.
On the left side of the building is the Renaissance doorway known as the Porta della Rana, dedicated to the Triumph of the Virgin. A small frog on the doorway is said to mark the level the lake reached in a flood. It is easy to walk past, so go round the flank of the church to find it.
The standard ticket opens the transept, the sacristies and the balconies, and the integrated ticket adds the wooden choir and the upper walkways. These are the parts of the building the free prayer route does not reach, and they give a close look at the vaults and the craft that went into them.
Practical information
From the official website:
For tourist visits: Monday to Friday 10:30 to 17:30, Saturday 10:45 to 16:30, Sunday 11:00 to 11:45 and 13:00 to 16:30. Visits may be limited by liturgical celebrations or organisational needs. For prayer the cathedral is open on weekdays from 07:30 to 19:00, and on Sundays and solemnities until the end of the last celebration.
A ticket is needed for the tourist visit: the standard ticket gives access to the transept, the sacristies and the balconies, and an integrated ticket adds the Civic Museums. Believers have free access to the open areas of the cathedral to pray. Tickets are sold online (the date you choose does not tie the entry) and at the Broletto Infopoint in Via Pretorio, open daily 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00. The cathedral publishes its 2026 price list as an image on the visits page, so check the current prices there.
Checked in November 2026. Hours and fees can change: check on the day before you go.
Getting there
On foot, about 5 minutes from the lakefront at Piazza Cavour through the old town; Piazza del Duomo is pedestrian.
Train to Como San Giovanni (Milan-Locarno line) and walk about 15 to 20 minutes into the old town, or train on the Milan-Saronno-Como line to Como Nord Lago, which is a few minutes from the lake. Journey from Milan is about an hour depending on the train.
Boats of Navigazione Laghi (navigazionelaghi.it) call at Como; from the pier it is a short walk. The company announced that the arrival and departure piers in Como change from 3 November 2026, so check where your boat leaves.
The old town centre has traffic restrictions. Leave the car in a car park on the edge of the centre and walk in.
Insider tips
Sunday is the tightest day: tourist visits run 11:00 to 11:45 and 13:00 to 16:30. On any day, celebrations can limit visits, so check the visits page before you set out, and avoid arriving at closing time.
Tickets are sold online and at the Broletto Infopoint in Via Pretorio, a minute from the cathedral. Praying inside is free, but the paid route is what opens the sacristies and balconies.
This is a working cathedral and the seat of the bishop. Keep your shoulders and knees covered, speak quietly and do not walk through the nave during services.
The façade is best late in the afternoon, when the marble warms up, and the lake is a short walk away for the sunset that follows.
Nearby
From the Lake Como City Guide, each with its own Holiplanet page. Straight-line distances.
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A city-centre hotel on Piazza Cavour, right by the lake boats
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Questions
For tourist visits, Monday to Friday 10:30 to 17:30, Saturday 10:45 to 16:30 and Sunday 11:00 to 11:45 and 13:00 to 16:30. For prayer, weekdays 07:30 to 19:00. Visits can be limited by liturgical celebrations.
Yes, for the tourist visit. The standard ticket gives access to the transept, sacristies and balconies; an integrated ticket adds the Civic Museums. Worshippers can pray in the open areas free of charge. Check the 2026 price list on the cathedral's website.
Most of the façade sculpture is by the Rodari family. Tommaso Rodari carved the statues of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger around 1480, in the niches on either side of the main portal.
Construction began in 1396. The façade was built between 1457 and 1486 and the sculptor Tommaso Rodari worked on the building until 1526. The dome is by Filippo Juvarra, so the church combines Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements.
Allow 45 minutes to an hour for the church and the paid route. Add a few minutes for the façade and the Porta della Rana, and you can combine the visit with the Broletto and the old town.
