Discovering the unknown monuments and buildings of the Milan Renaissance
A tour to discover the less famous, but equally beautiful, parts of the Milan Renaissance; monuments and buildings nearby Leonardo’s masterpiece “The Last Supper”.
Palazzo Mezzanotte - Stock Exchange Palace
Built in 1929-31, it faces the elegant staircase and massive columns of Piazza degli Affari.
The inside consists of the Trading Floor, restructured to host meetings and conventions. The underground room still shows the remains of the 1st century A.D. Roman theatre that was destroyed by Frederick Barbarossa (1162).
Church of Santa Maria alla Porta
Documented from at least the 12th century the church was rebuilt in 1652 after a project by Francesco Maria Richini. The portal was built by Francesco Castelli, the relief atop of it was sculpted by Carlo Simonetta (1670). The dome is attributed to Girolamo Quadrio and inside the four chapels, with serliana openings, contains Baroque paintings and sculptures.
Church of Santa Maria Podone
Founded in the 9th century by orders of Verulfo Podone, the church was rebuilt in the 15th century by Pierantonio Solare for the count Vitaliano Borromeo. The bas-relief that decorates the portal is quite interesting, depicting the Virgin and Child between two figures, recognized as Vitaliano Borromeo and his son. The polygonal terracotta chapel is remarkable, with Solarian markings (15th century) worked from a truncated window and a rounded window. The facade with portico is the result of a renovation commissioned in 1625 by Cardinal Federico Borromeo.
Palazzo Borromeo - Borromeo's Palace
The palace was severely damaged during the Second World War but in the inner courtyards it is still possible to admire 15th century Frescoes; the origin of these Frescos are uncertainly, probably were made by Michelino da Besozzo or by the pupils of the Zavattari workshop.
Gorani Tower
Gorani Tower is an ancient medieval tower built by the rich Gorani family. It is located near the Romans excavation site where the archaeologists have found the foundations of an Imperial palace. Today the tower is in really bad condition and needs a restoration.
Museum of Archaeology Milan
The Museum is situated in the complex of the Monastero Maggiore, which was built in 9th century: the cloister contains the only remaining still standing tower of the Roman walls, built under Emperor Massimianus.
The museum shows rich collections archaeological finding from the early Medieval period, from Greece and Magna Graecia, from Etruscan period and finding from Gandhara Area as well.
Very important is the Roman section, witness of the period in which Milan has been the Roman Empire capital city (286-402 AD).
Church of San Maurizio
A splendid renaissance church built on the basis of a design by Giovanni Giacomo Dolcebuono in 1503. A monastery of Benedictine monks was annexed to it, two cloisters of which still remain today, one of them now houses the Archaeological Museum.
Inside the church, the walls are decorated with splendid 16th century frescoes, the majority of which were painted by Bernardino Luini between 1522 and 1529. From the third chapel on the left you can access the Moncks’s choir, the centre of which is occupied by a very valuable organ dating back to 1554 by Gian Giacomo Antegnani.
The choir hosts paintings of Bergognone and other XVI century artists; in the chapels there are Lomazzo’s frescos and Anotnio Campi’s paintings.
Palzzo Litta - Litta's Palace
The palace was built by the Arese family in the middle of the 17th century on a Freancesco Maria Richino project; became property of the Visconti Borromeo and afterwards of the Litta family.
During the last century was bought by the National Railways Company, and today is a State’s Property.
Castello Cova - Cova Castle
This is not a real castle but a building built in 1915 by the eccentric architect Adolfo Coppedé, who intented to give medieval heritage to this building through architectonical solution of the medieval era, like the big brickwork tower and the ancient looking battlements.
Basilica of San Vittore al Corpo
The primitive basilica, which perhaps dates back to the 4th century, is already replaced in the 8th century by a larger construction to transfer the corpses of the Saints Victor and Satyrus there from "San Vittore in Ciel D'Oro".
After the year one thousand, a Benedictine Monastery was built alongside the basilica and both were fully restored during the 16th century by the Olivetans. The present appearance of the church is the result of the design by Vincenzo Seregni from 1533 and so to Pellegrino Tibaldi, the supervisor of the building site from 1568.
The interior still has the 16th century look. Into the Sant’Antonio Chapel there is a 1619 painting by Daniele Crespi “The Death of Saint Paul the Eremite”. Inside the left transept there is a cycle of paintings about the life and tales of San Benedetto by Ambrogio Figino; the right transept hosts an altar-piece by Camillo Procaccini. Noteworthy are the paintings of the contra-façade by Francesco Cairo and, among the altar-pieces, the one made by Pompeo Batoni.
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