The walls of the Como Cathedral are decorated with paintings, among which stand “San Sebastiano”, “San Cristoforo”, and “Adorazione dei pastori” by Bernardino Luini, in addition to “Sposalizio della Vergine” by Gaudenzio Ferrari.
Como Cathedral
Located in the center of the city of Como, within the magnificent setting of Piazza Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is one of the most important religious buildings of northern Italy and the main place of worship in Lake Como.
Find out everything you need to know to plan your visit to Como Cathedral in Como City!
The cathedral is 87 meters long, from 36 to 56 meters wide, and 75 meters high into the top of the dome. It has a Latin Cross floor plan with three naves and a Renaissance transept, all topped by an imposing dome.
The facade is perfectly aligned with the nearby Broletto (former seat of the Como City Council and now the site of art exhibitions and events) and the bell tower.
The sculptures are made in Gothic style withs some of them recalling Renaissance features. The portal is surmounted by two tondos, within which two sculptures represent Adam and Eve (that is, humanity). Above, there are five sculptures of saints.
Another tondo hosts the sculpture of a boy (the Holy Spirit). Near the rose window is a statue of God, surrounded by other statues that represent the archangel Gabriel, the Virgin Mary, and the Resurrection.
The walls of the Como Cathedral are decorated with paintings, among which stand “San Sebastiano”, “San Cristoforo”, and “Adorazione dei pastori” by Bernardino Luini, in addition to “Sposalizio della Vergine” by Gaudenzio Ferrari.
❗Note: online booking is not mandatory but recommended
Ticket price including city museums, valid for 72 hours:
*Depending on the type of ticket you choose, you can visit two or three places among: Pinacoteca Civica (the art museum), Tempio Voltiano and Como Cathedral. The pass is valid for 72 hours from the first entry.
See other types of tickets and any reduced-price tickets on the official website.
📅 Como Cathedral is open all year round (please check on Google or on the official website).
🕒 Opening hours: 10:30 am-5:30 pm during weekdays; 11 am-4:30 pm on Saturdays; 11 am-11:45 am and 1 pm-4:30 on Sundays and bank holidays.
❌ Closed during liturgical celebrations.
The cathedral does not have any structural barriers and is therefore perfectly accessible with wheelchairs.
Access is free for people with disabilities.
📍 Como Cathedral is located in Piazza Duomo, right in the center of the city of Como.
You can easily reach it by train from Milan and its main airports, or by ferry from the main towns on Lake Como, and then walk for about 10-15 minutes.
Buses are also available from the nearest towns (C10, C30) and for city routes that you can check on the ASF official website.
The construction of the cathedral began in 1396 – ten years after construction began for the Milan Cathedral – under the supervision of the architect Lorenzo degli Spazzi from Laino.
On the current site of the Como Cathedral, there was an earlier Romanesque church that was torn down in order to make room for the new building.
The imposing facade of the Como Cathedral was built in the second half of the 15th century. Among other things, it features a rose window and a portal between the two statues of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, both natives of Como.
During construction, the bells were temporarily placed on the civic tower of the Broletto (the old town hall). The temporary location has since become the final bell tower of the new church.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the interiors were decorated with tapestries made in Ferrara, Florence, and Antwerp. There are also several paintings by Bernardino Luini and Gaudenzio Ferrari.
The two statues of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger also suffered damages related to weather and smog. Now you can see them under two glass cases, which have now become an established part of the facade.
The construction of the Como Cathedral ended in 1770, with the completion of the beautiful dome by Filippo Juvarra. In the 20th century, the cathedral underwent some renovations.
