The Basilica of San Lorenzo

Corso di Porta Ticinese 35. Free entrance, the Chapel of St. Aquilino has a charge, 2 euro. Open Monday to Friday 8 am to 12:30 pm and 3 pm to 6:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 7 pm

From Largo Carrobbio, at the end of Via Torino, you can take Corso di Porta Ticinese, and arrive at the Basilica of San Lorenzo.

In front of the façade of the Basilica stand 16 columns (originally 17) from Roman times, made of white marble with Corinthian capitals: these are the remains of what must have been the central nave of a church, or the internal peristyle of a rectangular basilica. The earliest restoration of the columns dates back to 1505, and they have been restored several times since then.

The columns, in the history of Milan, have risked being torn down several times because they were considered old compared to the exponential growth of the city, but fortunately they have come down to us and survived even the bombings of the Second World War.

The basilica of San Lorenzo has an architecture consisting of a two-storey circular hall with four large exedras, set off by four columns in five rooms, and around everything there is an internal portico, both on the ground and second floors. A dome with an octagonal base dominates the entire structure.

Inside, the Chapel of St. Aquilinus (the only part of the basilica that preserves the original structure in its entirety) where you can find a copy of Leonardo’s Last Supper and early Christian mosaics dating back to the 6th century.

The Colonne di San Lorenzo has become a meeting point for Milan’s movida and all around there are kiosks and bars where you can have aperitifs and snacks.

The Church of Sant’Eustorgio

Piazza Sant’Eustorgio. Free entrance to the Church. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The museum of Sant’Eustorgio is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., admission 6 euro. Combined ticket with the nearby Museo Diocesano.

Continuing along Corso di Porta Ticinese, you arrive at Piazza Sant’Eustorgio, where the church of the same name stands.

The Church of Sant’Eustorgio is famous for allegedly housing the relics of the Magi from Constantinople. This church, founded in the 4th century and rebuilt in the 19th century, is the subject of a legend.

According to tradition, it was built for a divine will. Saint Eustorgio was transporting the relics of the Magi from Constantinople and it was here that the wheels of his chariot became very heavy and no one could move them any more.

Since it was impossible to reach the basilica of Santa Tecla, his original destination, Sant’Eustorgio decided to build a new basilica on that site, outside the perimeter of what was then the city of Milan.

Unfortunately, the relics were stolen during the sacking of Milan in 1162: the troops of Emperor Frederick I of Swabia seized them and took them to Cologne Cathedral. In 1904, a small part of the relics was returned and they are now kept in the sarcophagus of the Magi inside the basilica.

Architecturally, the building was built on a suburban necropolis of which there are still archaeological traces, and is Romanesque in style with three naves with cross vaults and several chapels. The façade was designed by Giovanni Brocca between 1862 and 1865.

Next to the church, the Museum of Sant’Eustorgio (for a fee) allows visitors to visit the early Christian necropolis, the monumental sacristy (where there are relics and liturgical furnishings), the Solarian Chapels and the Portinari Chapel, located behind the apse of the church, among the most important elements of the Milanese Renaissance.

To enhance the church, permanent night lighting has been in place since 2011, enveloping the building in a warm, soft light. On the bell tower we find the star of light, reminiscent of the comet that guided the Three Kings to the cave where Jesus was born.

The Navigli

The Navigli is one of the hubs of Milan’s movida. It is one of the city’s most popular and beautiful areas both during the day – with its bookshops, vintage shops and aperitif bars – and for going out at night.

The Navigli are a set of artificial canals that were once used to transport goods and for irrigation. Through these canals, marble from the Candoglia quarries was brought to Milan and used to build the Duomo.

Church of St. Euphemia

Piazza Sant’Eufemia. Free admission. Open Monday to Saturday, 7.45 a.m. to 12 noon and 3.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Sundays and public holidays 7:45 a.m. – 12 noon and 4 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

This ancient basilica was founded around 475 but has been rebuilt and remodelled several times. The present façade dates back to the 1870s and is in Neo-Romanesque style.

The interior is neo-Gothic in style.

The main works of art:

• the Marriage of St Catherine, by the School of Leonardo, in the first chapel on the left
• Madonna and Child with Saints by Marco d’Oggiono, third chapel on the left
• the Brasca Tomb, by sculptor Cristoforo Solari (known as ‘il Gobbo’)
• Madonna of the Holy Rosary, painting by Augusto Lozzia.

Mudec

56 Via Tortona. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday from 09:30 to 19:30, Monday from 14:30 to 19:30, Thursday and Saturday from 9:30 to 22:30. The visit to the permanent collection is free, the cost of temporary exhibitions is variable.

The Mudec Museo delle Culture narrates the cultures of different peoples. It hosts a permanent exhibition, which is free of charge, and temporary exhibitions, which generally charge an entrance fee, which is different for each exhibition.

The permanent collection has 7,000 works from all continents, covering a historical period from 2000 BC to the present day. These include Picasso’s painting La Femme Nue.

Current exhibitions can be found on the official website.

The Mudec project was born around 1990 when the City of Milan acquired the former industrial area of the Ansaldo company: the idea was to transform former industrial poles into cultural spaces.

The design of Mudec was entrusted to the British architect David Chipperfield. The structure is divided into two floors and the entire building is based on the contrast between the curves of the central space and the geometric volumes of the various exhibition halls.

The Prada Foundation

Ex-distilleria Società Italiana Spiriti in Largo Isarco, 2. Open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Regulaer price ticket for temporary and permanent exhibitions costs 15 euros, reduced price ticket 12 euros (students under 26, FAI members), free entrance for under 18s, over 65s and disabled persons. Check at the ticket office for other reductions. Book your tickets online.

The Fondazione Prada is dedicated to contemporary art and film. It was founded by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli in 1993.

The Fondazione Prada hosts exhibitions of various kinds, mainly by international contemporary artists. Inside the building is Bar Luce, designed by Wes Anderson to recreate the atmosphere of a typical 1950s Milanese bar.

On the sixth floor of the building is the Ristorante Torre, designed by Rem Koolhaas and run by chef Lorenzo Lunghi.