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The historic center of Milan (Centro Storico) is not only the city’s oldest area, it’s also a hub of art, culture, and religion. It’s a compact, easily walkable area is full of pleasant piazzas and a mix of medieval, Renaissance, and modern architecture.
This post focuses outside Piazza del Duomo and a few major attractions in the historic center of Milan, such as The Last Supper and Sforza Castle.
Piazza della Scala
Let’s begin at Piazza della Scala, which is connected to Piazza del Duomo via Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. It’s named for the famous Teatro alla Scala. The space was occupied by buildings until 1858 when the city decided to renovate the area. The buildings were demolished to create the square, giving citizens a brand new perspective of the theatre. A few new palazzos later sprung up around it.
Leonardo da Vinci Monument
In the center is a monument to Leonardo da Vinci. It was created by Pietro Magni (1817-1877) between 1858 and 1872. The monument features a 4.4 meter-high marble statue of the Renaissance artist, scientist, and architect (1452-1519) atop a pedestal 7.08 meters high. Around the base are marble statues of four of his pupils: Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio (1466/67-1516), Marco d’Oggiono (c. 1470-c. 1549), Cesare da Sesto (1477-1523), and Gian Giacomo Caprotti (1480-1524). They’re each 2.6 meters high. Four reliefs on the plinth depict different aspects of da Vinci’s life as a painter, sculptor, architect, and plumber. The monument was inaugurated on September 4, 1872.
Teatro alla Scala
The most famous building on the square is Teatro alla Scala, or simply La Scala, which is the world’s most prestigious opera house. Some of the finest singers in the history have performed there, and some of the most famous operas have premiered there. It’s worth mentioning Italy is the birthplace of opera, which was first performed in Florence in 1598.
The Royal Ducal Theatre (Teatro Regio Ducale) was the predecessor to La Scala. It was based in a wing of the Royal Palace from December 26, 1717, until it burned down on February 25, 1776. 90 wealthy Milanese who owned boxes in the theatre wrote to Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este asking for a new theatre. That plan was rejected, but Empress Maria Theresa approved a second plan later that same year.
Santa Maria alla Scala, a Gothic church built in 1381, was deconsecrated and demolished to make way for the New Royal Ducal Theatre of La Scala (Nuovo Regio Ducale Teatro alla Scala). Construction began in late 1776. The building was designed by Giuseppe Piermarini (1734-1808) and opened on August 3, 1778, with a performance of Europa riconosciuta. The theatre originally had a capacity of about 3,000, but renovations in 1907 and 2004 reduced it to 2,030.
La Scala has six tiers of boxes. The stage is one of the largest in Italy, at 16.15 meters deep, 20.4 meters wide, and 26 meters long. The main façade of the building features a stucco bas-relief by Giuseppe Franchi (1731-1806) representing The Chariot of the Sun Chased by the Night.
Tours of La Scala
Guided tours of La Scala are available daily depending on the schedule of the theatre. Tours in English run 4 times a day and cost €30 per person (as of May 2025). They last 60 minutes and include admission to the museum. Tours are not suitable for kids under 12. Unfortunately, there were no tours available on the day we visited because of a rehearsal.
La Scala Theatre Museum
The La Scala Theatre Museum (Museo Teatrale alla Scala) focuses on the history of opera and the theatre itself. Admission for adults is €12 on a timed ticket or €15 on an open ticket, €8 for students age 6+ and seniors age 65+, and free for kids under 6 (as of May 2025). The museum is open daily from 9:30am to 5:30pm.
The museum opened on March 8, 1913, displaying a large private collection of collector Jules Sambon (1837-1921), purchased at auction in Paris two years earlier. The collection has grown with donations and acquisitions over the years. It’s spread out over 14 rooms, displaying a nice collection of posters, paintings, artifacts, costumes, musical instruments, and set designs.
The museum is attached to the Livia Simoni Library (Biblioteca Livia Simoni). It was founded in 1952 when theatre critic Renato Simoni (1875-1952) donated his entire collection of 40,000 volumes. The library was named after his mother. Today, it contains around 140,000 works related to the history of opera, ballet, and theatre.
The main reason we visited the museum was to get a peek at the theatre, which is included in the admission. Visitors have a chance to enter a third-level box. Photos were forbidden during our visit because the stage was being prepared and we had to be completely silent. I was only able to take a photo of the halls outside the boxes.
Palazzo Marino
Palazzo Marino is on the southeast side of the square. It was built between 1557 and 1563 for Genoan trader and banker Tommaso Marino (1475-1572) and designed by architect Galeazzo Alessi (1512-1572). After Marino’s death, his family fortune collapsed resulting in the foreclosure of the property in 1577. It was acquired by the Omodei family in 1632. The building became property of the state in 1781 and was converted to administrative and tax offices. It has been Milan’s city hall since September 9, 1861.
The main façade originally faced Piazza San Fedele to the southeast. Architect Luca Beltrami (1854-1933) designed a new façade facing Piazza della Scala with work completed in 1882. Free guided tours to the palazzo, which is richly decorated with frescoes, stuccoes, tapestries, and paintings, are available on select days (as of May 2025). They last about two to three hours and are given in Italian. Tours must be reserved ahead of time on the official website.
Palazzo della Banca Commerciale Italiana
To the north is the Palazzo della Banca Commerciale Italiana. It was built between 1907 and 1911 by Luca Beltrami for the Italian Commercial Bank (Banca Commerciale Italiana / BCI), which merged with Intesa Bank (Banca Intesa) in 1999. The Neoclassical building now hosts the Galleries of Italy (Gallerie d’Italia), which opened in 2011. Admission is €5 for adults, €3 for seniors age 65+, and free for kids under 18 (as of May 2025). It’s open daily except Mondays.
Piazza Fontana
East of Piazza del Duomo is Piazza Fontana. It was laid out in the 18th century with a fountain designed in 1780 by Giuseppe Piermarini and Giuseppe Franchi (1731-1806). Many buildings around it were damaged by Allied bombings in August 1943. The National Agricultural Bank (Banca Nazionale dell’Agricoltura) sits on the south side while the Archbishop’s Palace (Palazzo Arcivescovile) is on the west side.
On a somber note, the Piazza Fontana Bombing took place there on December 12, 1969. 17 people were killed and 88 wounded when a bomb exploded at the headquarters of the National Agricultural Bank. The attack was carried out by Ordine Nuovo, a neo-fascist paramilitary terrorist group.
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is a pedestrianized shopping street connecting Piazza del Duomo to Piazza San Babila. It dates back to the Roman period. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was called Corsia dei Servi after the Servites. They administered the Church of Santa Maria dei Servi which once stood along the road.
Corsia dei Servi was expanded in the 1820s and 30s, and Neoclassical buildings started replacing medieval constructions. Around 1830, the street was renamed Corso Francesco, and after the unification of Italy, it took its current name, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. The street was the first in Milan to be pedestrianized, which occurred in the mid-1980s. The many cinemas that once lined the street were replaced with high-end fashion shops.
Basilica of San Carlo al Corso
Other than the shopping, there are a few landmarks along the street. The Basilica of San Carlo al Corso (Basilica di San Carlo al Corso) is a large neoclassical church built between 1832 and 1847. It’s dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584). The façade was designed in 1844 by architect Carlo Amati (1776-1852), who modeled it on the Pantheon in Rome. It features 36 monolithic columns. The dome is 32.2 meters in diameter. The bell tower, at 72 meters, is the highest in Milan.
Pope Pius XI elevated the church to a minor basilica in August 1938. It’s administered by the Servite Order and replaced the aforementioned Santa Maria dei Servi, which was founded in 1290 and suppressed by Napoleon in 1799.
Piazza San Babila
Piazza San Babila marks the east end of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. It has been an open space since the Roman period and the point where the road to Bergamo passed through the city walls. The space was widened between 1931 and 1948 to officially become a piazza. The fountain was designed by Luigi Caccia Dominioni (1913-2016) and built in 1997.
The 15-story Snia Viscosa Tower, Milan’s first skyscraper, was built on Piazza San Babila between 1935 and 1937. It was the city’s tallest building for 14 years. Also, the first telephone booth was installed in front of the basilica on February 10, 1952.
Basilica of San Babila
The Basilica of San Babila (Basilica di San Babila) is the only historic building to survive the square’s transformation in the 1930s. It was originally built in 1095 and was expanded in the 16th century and given a Baroque façade. The entire complex was renovated by Paolo Cesa Bianchi (1840-1920) starting in 1890, while architect Cesare Nava (1861-1933) redesigned the façade in the Neo-Romanesque style. Work was completed in 1905.
The Basilica of San Babila was once considered the third most important church in the city behind the Duomo and the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio. It has a nave with two aisles. The two side chapels date to the late Renaissance. The bell tower was built in the Baroque style in 1821 to replace the original which fell in 1575, and it was restored in the Neo-Romanesque style in 1927.
Lion Column
The Lion Column (Colonna del Leone) in front of the church was commissioned by Count Carlo Serbelloni and built in 1628. The origin of the lion at the top is unknown. The column was originally right in front of the basilica but was moved to its current location in 1959.
Quadrilatero della Moda
The Quadrilatero della Moda is one of the world’s most exclusive shopping districts, featuring both Italian and international brands. It’s also considered by many experts to be the world’s most important fashion district. The area is bordered by Via Monte Napoleone, Via Manzoni, Via della Spiga, and Corso Venezia. Several smaller streets in between also contain stores.
Via Monte Napoleone
Via Monte Napoleone is the main street in the district. Many of the most exclusive jewelers and fashion designers have boutiques along the street.
Among the famous brands located on Via Monte Napoleone are Rolex, Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Dior, Burberry, Hermes, Dolce & Gabbana, and Cartier. It often classifies as the most expensive street in Europe.
Since it was only a few days before Christmas, we were treated to some great window shopping at many of the stores along the street.
Via Gesù
Via Gesù is Milan’s official street for menswear. It’s nicknamed “Man’s Street” (La Via dell’Uomo) and has several of the best stores for men’s fashion.
Church of Sant’Antonio Abate
A couple blocks south of Piazza del Duomo is the Church of Sant’Antonio Abate (Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Abate), which is one of the city’s most beautiful churches. There’s no admission to visit (as of May 2025) but it’s only open to the public Monday through Wednesday. It’s closed July and August.
The Church of Sant’Antonio Abate dates back to at least 1272, when it was built as part of a hospital complex run by the Augustinians. The complex lost its function when Ca’ Granda was built in the 15th century, and in 1452, it was given to the Trivulzio family, who kept it until the middle of the 16th century.
The complex was granted to the Theatines in 1577 and they commissioned Dionigi Campazzo to rebuild the church. Construction took place between 1582 and 1584 and the church was consecrated on September 13, 1654.
Façade of the Church of Sant’Antonio Abate
The Neoclassical façade is quite plain and doesn’t give any clues as to the ornate the interior. It was designed in 1832 by Giacomo Tazzini (1785-1861) and features four niches. They contain statues, from left to right, of Saints Cajetan (Gaetano), Nicholas of Flüe, Anthony the Great, and Andrea Avellino. To the left of the church is the former Theatine convent, with a 16th century cloister and double loggia. The bell tower is the only structure remaining from the original 13th century complex.
Nave of the Church of Sant’Antonio Abate
The Church of Sant’Antonio Abate is on a Latin cross plan. It has a single nave with three chapels on each side, a transept, and an apse.
The right transept contains the Chapel of the Ascension (Cappella dell’Ascensione), built at the beginning of the 16th century by Giovanni Battista Trotti (1555-1612). Another chapel is in the left transept.
Organ
The Brunelli organ on the counter-façade was built in the 18th century and holds an important place in musical history. On January 17, 1773, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) used it to perform Exsultate, jubilate for the first time in public. The organ was restored between 1806 and 1818 by Paolo Chiesa, and “reformed” by Livio Tornaghi in 1865.
Carlone Frescoes
The frescoes on the vault were completed by Giovanni Bernardo Carlone (1590-1630) and his brother Giovanni Battista Carlone (1603-1684) between 1631 and 1632. They depict scenes about the discovery of the True Cross.
Acerbi Chapel
The Acerbi Chapel (Cappella Acerbi), which is second on the left, includes paintings by Giulio Cesare Procaccini (1574-1625) considered masterpieces of Milanese Baroque. They depict the Annunciation (the altarpiece), Visitation (left), Flight to Egypt (right), Angels (above the altarpiece), and Eternal in Glory (arch). The chapel was commissioned in 1609 by Senator Ludovico Acerbi in honor of his brother, Borso, who’s buried inside.
Ca’ Granda
Around the corner is Ca’ Granda, which was once part of the Major Hospital of Milan (Ospedale Maggiore di Milano). It was founded by Francesco I Sforza (1401-1466), the Duke of Milan, to provide medical care to the city’s poorest citizens and centralize the healthcare system into one large building. Construction on the huge hospital complex began on April 12, 1456, and it was in operation by 1472. The architect was Antonio Averlino (c. 1400-c. 1469), also known as Filarete.
The project was funded by legacies, donations, and contributions from the biennial Feast of Forgiveness (Festa del Perdono). It remained the largest hospital in Milan until 1939, when patients were moved to a new building in Niguarda.
Part of Ca’ Granda was completely destroyed during an Allied bombing raid on August 15-16, 1943. The building was renovated and has been the seat of the University of Milan (Università degli Studi di Milano) since 1958.
Ca’ Granda consists of a large central courtyard with four small courtyards on the north and south sides. The south wing is the oldest, completed in the 15th century. The central courtyard was built in the 17th century by Francesco Maria Richini (1584-1658), and the north wing was built in the 18th century and completed in 1805 by Pietro Castelli. The Church of the Annunciation (Chiesa dell’Annunciata) and crypt are on the central courtyard.
The entire complex covers 43,000 square meters. The main entrance is flanked by statues of St. Charles Borromeo and St. Ambrose. Visitors can take a self-guided tour. 11 totems with information can be found along the perimeter and in the courtyards.
Basilica of San Nazaro in Brolo
Just south of Ca’ Granda is the Basilica of San Nazaro in Brolo (Basilica di San Nazaro in Brolo). It was originally built as the Basilica Apostolorum between 382 and 386 under St. Ambrose and it sat on the road connecting Mediolanum (modern-day Milan) to Rome. The church was on a Greek cross plan with apses on the arms, modeled after the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople (now Istanbul). A new apse was built to house the body of St. Nazarus after it was discovered in 397.
After a fire on March 30, 1075, the church was rebuilt in the Romanesque style on a Latin cross plan, with a vaulted roof, octagonal dome, and apses on the side arms. In fact, it’s the oldest Latin cross church in the world. Bramantino Suardi (c. 1456-c. 1530) added the octagonal Trivulzio Mausoleum starting in 1512. Of note inside are a few 4th century epigraphs in Greek and Latin as well as the Chapel of St. Catherine (Cappella di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria) and several important works of art.
Piazza Castello
Piazza Castello is on the northwest side of the historic center of Milan next to the Sforza Castle, which is covered in another post. It contains the Piazza Castello Fountain (Fontana di Piazza Castello), which locals refer to as the “Wedding Cake“ (Torta degli Sposi). It was built in the 1930s in honor of Benito Mussolini but had to be dismantled in the 1960s due to the construction of the metro. It sat in storage for several years and rebuilt in its original location in 2000. At night, 180 LED lamps put on a spectacular show.
The square is a pleasant place to have a look before visiting the castle. During our visit in the winter, we enjoyed some roasted chestnuts and hot wine in front of the fountain while admiring the scenery.
Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore
A short walk south of Piazza Castello is the Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore (Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore), perhaps the most beautifully decorated church in Milan. It was originally part of the most important female monastery in the city. Admission to the church is free (as of May 2025) and it’s open daily except Mondays.
The church was built between 1503 and 1518. It was designed by Gian Giacomo Dolcebuono (c. 1445-1504) and Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (c. 1447-1522) while Francesco Pirovano completed the façade in 1574. The church was constructed with a single nave covered by a vault and divided into two halls with side chapels. The partition separated worshippers in the Hall of the Faithful from the nuns who followed mass from behind a grate in the Hall of Nuns. The nuns were forbidden from crossing the wall until 1794.
The Benedictine monastery, which was first documented in the 8th century, was suppressed on November 20, 1798. It became property of the municipality in 1864 and has been converted into the Civic Archaeological Museum (Civico Museo Archeologico). The church, however, is still active and open to visitors. It’s used every Sunday from October through June to celebrate the Byzantine Rite Catholic Mass.
Hall of the Faithful
The Hall of the Faithful (Aula dei Fedeli) is covered with incredible 16th century frescoes. The counter-façade was decorated by Simone Peterzano (c. 1535-c. 1599) in 1573.
On the partition are frescoes of the Life of San Maurizio painted by Bernardino Luini (c. 1480/82-1532) in the 1520s, with a depiction of the Adoration of the Magi painted in 1578 by Antonio Campi (c. 1522-1587) in the center. Bernardino’s sons Aurelio (c. 1530-1593), Giovan Pietro, and Evangelista painted five of the eight chapels.
The first chapel on the left is the Chapel of the Resurrection (Cappella della Resurrezione). It was donated by Countess Bergamina, the daughter of Ludovico Sforza (1452-1508) and his mistress Lucrezia Crivelli (1464-1534). Aurelio and Giovan Pietro painted the fresco of the Resurrection in the middle of the 16th century.
Hall of the Nuns
Behind the partition is the equally spectacular Hall of the Nuns (Aula delle Monache), which is also completely covered in frescoes.
The partition contains more frescoes by Bernardino Luini. They portray various saints as well as a cycle of the Passion of the Christ. You’ll also notice two small openings for the passage of communion between images of female saints. The vault of the partition has a painting of the Blessing of the Eternal Father, which depicts God surrounded by angels on a blue starry sky. It’s attributed to Vincenzo Foppa (C. 1427/30-c. 1515/16).
Frescoes on the lunettes on the back wall are attributed to Giovan Pietro and Evangelista Luini. They include the Flagellation, The Last Supper, and the Condemnation. The lower wall features frescoes continuing the cycle of the Passion of the Christ.
In the chapel on the left side of the hall are perhaps the most interesting frescoes in the church, a lively depiction of the Stories of Noah’s Ark. In another chapel is a fresco of Adam and Eve. Both were painted by Aurelio Luini.
The organ above the choir stalls was built by Giovan Giacomo Antegnati in 1554. It’s in a box decorated by Francesco de’ Medici da Seregno and his son Giacomo. The organ was modified in the 19th century and restored to its original characteristics in 1982. It consists of a 50-note keyboard and a 20-foot pedalboard.
Palazzo Litta
Across the street from San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore is another building of note, Palazzo Litta. It was built for Count Bartolomeo Arese (1590-1674) between 1642 and 1648 by architect Francesco Maria Richini (1584-1658). Bartolomeo Bolli constructed a new Rococo façade between 1752 and 1761. The palazzo was inherited by the Litta family in the 18th century when the male line of the Arese family became extinct.
Palazzo Litta held several important parties for Milan’s nobles and also hosted receptions for royals from all over Europe. Teatro Litta, which was once the Arese family oratory, is the oldest theatre in Milan dating back to 1671. It served as a railway office starting in 1874 and was given to the Ministry of Culture in February 2007. The building is currently a cultural center with exhibition space, offices, and the theatre.
Piazza Sant’Ambrogio
Not too far away is Piazza Sant’Ambrogio, which is on the west side of the historic center of Milan. The square hosts one of the most important churches in the city. A path with grass on both sides that heads north from the front of the church.
Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio
The Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio (Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio) is one of the oldest and most historic churches in Milan. It’s dedicated to its founder, St. Ambrose (c. 339-397), the patron saint of the city. The architectural complex includes a monastery, a rectory, the Chapel of St. Victor in the Golden Sky (Cappella di San Vittore in Ciel d’Oro), and the Church of San Sigismondo (Chiesa di San Sigismondo).
St. Ambrose (Aurelius Ambrosius) was a bishop of Milan in the 4th century. He built the church between 379 and 386 in an area where martyrs of Roman persecutions were buried. The first name of the church was the Basilica Martyrum.
A Benedictine monastery was founded on the grounds in 784, and a canon was added later to serve the secular community. By the 11th century the monks and canons were living by different rules while sharing the basilica. The monks lived in the two southern buildings of the monastery while the canons lived in the northern building. The Benedictines were replaced by the Cistercians in 1497.
The Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio was reconstructed in the Romanesque style between 1080 and 1099, giving it its current appearance. In the early Middle Ages, the church hosted the coronations of the Holy Roman Emperors as King of Italy.
In 1799, the monastery was suppressed and converted to a military hospital. After the fall of Napoleon in 1815, the church reopened to worship and the canons were restored. The building sustained major damage during the Allied bombing of Milan in August 1943.
Bell Towers of the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio
The two monastic communities are represented by the church’s two bell towers. The monks built the Tower of the Monks (Torre dei Monaci) around 842 to call the faithful to their Mass. It’s on the south side of the church. The canons weren’t allowed to build a tower until 1128. It was completed in 1144 and sits on the north side. The last two floors were added between 1889 and 1891.
Courtyard of the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio
The courtyard is surrounded by a portico on all four sides. The column capitals are decorated with human and animal figures as well as other motifs. The Archbishop of Milan and political leaders would address crowds from the upper loggia on the façade.
Underneath the portico you’ll find fragments of ancient columns and sarcophagi. The sarcophagus of Italian Renaissance author Pietro Candido Decembrio (1399-1477) is one of them. It sits left of the entrance. The doors and decorations on the portal are also impressive.
Nave of the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio
The Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio has a central nave with two aisles and no transept. There’s a semi-circular apse and semi-circular chapels at the end of each aisle. The nave, which is the same size as the courtyard, was completed between 1128 and 1140.
The altar, covered in gold, silver, and precious stones, was made by Vuolvino between 824 and 859. It originally housed the remains of Saints Ambrose, Gervasus, and Protasus until they were transferred to the crypt underneath the church in 1874. The altar is crowned by a 9th-century ciborium with four red porphyry columns and reliefs. Both the altar and ciborium were commissioned by Angilbert II (d. 859), the Archbishop of Milan. An 11th-century mosaic of Christ Pantocrator with Sts Gervasus and Protasus decorates the vault of the apse. It was partially reconstructed after the Allied bombing in 1943.
A 12th-century ambo with nine columns is in the third span on the left. It was built atop a 9th-century ambo that incorporated an ornate 4th-century Roman sarcophagus as a base. The sarcophagus was made between 387 and 390 and is mistakenly referred to as the Sarcophagus of Stilicho. It depicts Christ and the Apostles as well as scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Stilicho (c. 359-408), a powerful Roman military commander, died well after the sarcophagus was made and was never buried inside.
Finally, on the left side of the nave is the Serpent of Moses, which rest atop an ancient Roman column. It’s a bronze sculpture of a snake donated by Byzantine Emperor Basil II in 1007. In the past, it was believed to be the original Nehushtan belonging to Moses.
Crypt of the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio
The crypt of the church was built in the 9th century but the current appearance is from an 18th-century restoration. It contains the remains of Saints Ambrose, Gervasus, and Protasus in a single sarcophagus placed there on May 14, 1874.
Postern of St. Ambrose
In front of the church is the Postern of St. Ambrose (Pusterla di Sant’Ambrogio), which was one of the 10 secondary gates on the medieval walls of Milan. It was originally built in 1171 after Frederick Barbarossa (1122-1190) sacked the city 9 years earlier. The Spanish completed a new set of walls in the 16th century and converted the gate into a prison. The gate was rebuilt in 1939 by Gino Chierici (1877-1961) and for some time held an exhibition of criminology and ancient weapons. The 14th-century statues of Saints Ambrose, Gervasus, and Protasus originally decorated the Hospital of Sant’Ambrogio.
Temple of Victory
On the piazza behind the church is the Temple of Victory (Tempio della Vittoria). It was dedicated on November 4, 1928, as a memorial to the fallen Milanese in World War I. It was designed by Giovanni Muzio (1893-1982) and its octagonal shape represents the eight gates of Milan that the soldiers passed through to join Italian troops. 3 subterranean floors were added in 1973 to house an ossuary and bronze plaques listing the names of 10,000 soldiers who died in both World Wars.
Cova Castle
On the other side of the gate is Cova Castle (Castello Cova), also known as Palazzo Viviani Cova. This Neo-Gothic mansion was built between 1910 and 1915 for Rosalinda Viviani, widow of Leonardo Cova, and was designed by architect Adolfo Coppedè (1871-1951).
Basilica of San Vittore al Corpo
Finally, next to the entrance of the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology is the Basilica of San Vittore al Corpo (Basilica di San Vittore al Corpo). In fact, the museum is housed in the former monastery. If you’re in the area to visit the museum, it’s worth popping in to see the church if it’s open.
The church sits on the site of the mausoleum of Mirocles (d. c. 316) and Protasius (d. c. 343), both early Bishops of Milan; and Roman Emperor Valentinian II, who was a Christian. It was built in the first half of the 4th century outside the Roman walls of Mediolanum (now Milan). The mausoleum was enlarged and converted to the Chapel of St. Gregory (Cappella di San Gregorio) in the 9th century. A Benedictine monastery was later built nearby and it annexed the chapel.
The monastery was transferred to the Olivetans on August 29, 1507, and they began a major reconstruction project, demolishing the mausoleum/chapel. The Basilica of San Vittore al Corpo was built on the site starting in 1533 by architect Vincenzo Seregni (1519-1594) and completed in 1568 by Pellegrino Tibaldi (1527-1596). The façade remains unfinished.
The Monastery of San Vittore al Corpo (Monasterio di San Vittore al Corpo) was suppressed by Napoleon on June 8, 1805, and became a military hospital. It was later converted to a barracks. The museum opened in 1953.
Features of the Basilica of San Vittore al Corpo
The church is on a Latin cross plan and contains a central nave with two aisles, separated by six arches. There are six chapels on each side. The dome was frescoed in 1617 by Guglielmo Caccia (1568-1625) and Daniele Crespi (1598-1630). The left transept contains an early 17th-century cycle of canvases of the Stories of St. Benedict by Giovanni Ambrogio Figino (1548/51-1608). The choir was made by Ambrogio Santagostino out of walnut at the end of the 16th century.
The barrel-vaulted ceiling was decorated in the mid-17th century by Ercole Procaccini il Giovane (1605-1675). It features oval frames of saints and angels against a blue sky. The frames are separated by stuccoes.
