After completing the foundation and plinth of the cathedral, work focused on the apse. This part is considered the architectural highlight of the church, and its Gothic design was influenced by master builders who hailed from Germany. Work then progressed slowly towards the front.
It wasn't until the nineteenth century before the Duomo's most imposing element, the front facade facing Piazza del Duomo, was completed. The five bronze doorways also look a lot older than they actually are. The central one is the oldest and was created in the nineteenth century by Ludovico Pogliaghi. The other doors were created in the mid-twentieth century; the fifth doorway is the most recent, and was created as recent as in 1965. The panels on the doors depict episodes in the lives of the virgin Mary, Saint Ambrose (patron of Milan) and Saint Charles Borromeo as well as scenes from the history of Milan and the construction of the cathedral.