Berlitz: Milan Pocket Guide by APA

Author:APA
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Travel, Milan
Publisher: APA
Published: 2013-09-14T04:00:00+00:00

A rose-lined path through the Parco delle Basiliche (Park of the Basilicas) links Sant’Eustorgio and San Lorenzo. For many centuries public hangings and torture took place here, while tanners’ workshops created a foul stench. Today it is a pleasant park, which affords the best views of the Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore ‚ [map] (Corso di Porta Ticinese 39; daily 7am–12.30pm, 2.30–6.45pm). After the Duomo, this is the second-largest church in the city, distinctive for its huge central dome and the melange of architectural styles. It is also the oldest surviving church in the city, founded in the 4th century as an early Christian church, remodelled in Romanesque form in the 13th century, and reconstructed in the 16th century after the collapse of the dome in 1573. The facade is the newest addition, dating from 1894.

The 16 lofty Corinthian columns on the square in front of the church came from a Roman temple, and were probably erected here as a part of a portico for the original basilica, hence the alternative name for the church, San Lorenzo alle Colonne. In front of the church is a 1942 statue of Constantine the Great, who issued the Edict of Milan, granting freedom of religion to Christians in 313, before the church was built.

Inside the church the Early Christian octagonal plan, though remodelled in the 16th century, has essentially been preserved. On the right, the Cappella Sant’Aquilino was built as an imperial mausoleum and retains some beautiful 5th-century niche mosaics. At the altar, an elaborate silver-and-crystal casket contains the remains of Sant’Aquilino, while a small stairway to the left of the altar descends to the imperialera foundations.

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