Chiesa di San Maurizio

Corso Magenta & Sant'Ambrogio


This 16th-century royal chapel and one-time Benedictine convent is Milan's hidden crown jewel. Its somewhat sombre facade belies a gorgeous interior, every inch covered in breathtaking frescoes, most of them executed by Bernardino Luini, who worked with Leonardo da Vinci. Many of the frescoes immortalise Ippolita Sforza, Milanese literary maven, and other members of the powerful Sforza and Bentivoglio clans who paid for the chapel's decoration.

Duck through a small doorway to the left of the altar to enter the secluded convent hall where blissful martyred saints bear their tribulations serenely – note St Lucia calmly holding her lost eyes, and St Agata casually carrying her breasts on a platter.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Corso Magenta & Sant'Ambrogio attractions

1. Civico Museo Archeologico

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6. Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio

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