A long, low Romanesque silhouette beside the canals of the old Navigli district, the Basilica of Sant Eustorgio in Milan was founded according to tradition in the fourth century by Bishop Eustorgius and is best known for its association with the relics of the Three Magi, brought to Milan from Constantinople by the bishop himself. The present brick basilica is the result of a major twelfth-century rebuilding on the early Christian foundations, with three aisles separated by tall pillars and culminating in a row of side chapels added across the late medieval period. The simple Romanesque interior is animated by the changing light from small high windows. Although the bones of the Magi were taken to Cologne in 1164 by the German emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who had captured Milan and carried off its most venerated relics, fragments returned to the basilica in the early twentieth century are now preserved in a chapel beside the original empty sarcophagus, and a star above the bell tower commemorates the legend. The architectural high point of the church is the Portinari Chapel, attached to the rear of the apse and built in the late fifteenth century to house the tomb of the Dominican saint Peter Martyr. Designed by the Tuscan architect Michelozzo, with sculptures by Giovanni di Balduccio and frescoes by Vincenzo Foppa, the chapel is one of the finest examples of early Renaissance architecture and decoration in Lombardy. A small museum within the basilica complex displays a collection of liturgical objects, manuscripts and architectural fragments, and the cloister of the adjoining Dominican convent offers a quiet break from the busy district outside, with its cafes and bookshops crowding around the church doors. The wider Sant Eustorgio neighbourhood, with the basilica facing the medieval town gate of Porta Ticinese and the canalside walks of the Navigli a short stroll away, is one of the more atmospheric corners of central Milan, and a visit to the church naturally folds into a longer wander through the surrounding streets, especially in the evening, when the canals come alive with diners and drinkers.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: Piazza Sant Eustorgio 1, Milan, Italy

Website: https://santeustorgio.it

Opening Date: 01/01/1148