Duomo di Milano and Colonnade in morning, Milan

Milan by morning

Milan is one of the European Union's biggest metropolises and one of the most visited cities in the world, but it's not without its quiet moments. Lying at the center of the city, even the Piazza del Duomo is starkly empty at this early-morning hour. Looming over the soon-to-be-tourist-filled void is the Piazza's namesake, the Duomo aka Milan Cathedral. A stunning and influential work of Gothic architecture that took 6 centuries to complete, the cathedral draws over 5 million visitors each year—40,000 of which can fit at once inside its expansive interior.