[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Aeneas

I know what you are saying, but I am not sure you know what I am saying.
I, too, have probably climbed up over 100 major religious or secular buildings in Europe for the view. Church spires, cathedral domes, bell towers, clock towers, castle turrets, keep towers, what have you.

Unless I was missing something, the only time I have ever been able to walk out onto the roof of something not flat like a keep tower, was in Milan. Not just climb up high to a small observation area, or to the highest but still roofed place, but wander over a great expanse to look at the architechtural features up close. Whether you find the view of Milan from there gratifying or not, the perspective offered is unique.

For photographs having that interesting gargoyle in the foreground for a change was interesting for me. That is the sole reason I decided to add Milan cathedral to my itinerary, because I had never heard of wandering around on a roof. Been to dozens of more interesting cathedrals in Europe, but not once was I let onto the roof.

It is a much different shape than say the Dom in Koln/Cologne. I think it would be very difficult to get about on the roof of that Dom. I climbed as high as you are allowed in Koln. While exhilerating and awesome in it's height; it is still not the same as being on the roof. Milan's cathdral is wide and long, leaving considerable "flat" area up top, behind the grand facade for the most part. So many nooks and crannies up there to entice the curious.

Maybe it is only interesting to me, but if the OP is going to Milan anyway, I just thought I'd give a few reasons to justify it.

Ahh, I see what you're saying. The only place I went that was like that was in Lisbon, and it was a pretty cool experience, although you wonder how long the roof something that old should hold up for when you're wandering around on it.