San Babila Church

Milan, Italy

San Babila was once considered the third most important in the city after the Duomo and the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio. It is dedicated to saint Babylas of Antioch.

At the beginning of the 5th century, Marolus, the bishop of Milan, brought from Antioch to Milan relics of saints Babylas of Antioch and Romanus of Caesarea. Marolus founded the Basilica Concilia Sanctorum or church of San Romano, which stood until the 19th century, a few meters south of the church of San Babila, on the site of a Roman temple dedicated to the Sun.

The church of San Babila was built on the same site in about 1095. In the 16th century, the church was extended with an additional construction at the front and a new baroque façade. The church still retains its original medieval fabric, although much was lost due to baroque and modern renovations.

The whole complex was renovated in the 19th century with the intent of restoring the appearance of the medieval basilica, and in the early 20th century the Neo-Romanesque façade by Paolo Cesa-Bianchi was built. The bell tower is from 1920, and replaced the original tower which fell down in the 16th century.

The interior has a nave and two aisles. There are two side chapels that date from the late Renaissance. The right aisle has an image of the Madonna which is highly venerated by the Milanese population.

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Address

Corso Monforte 1, Milan, Italy
See all sites in Milan

Details

Founded: 1095
Category: Religious sites in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Alan Greep (6 years ago)
Spoilt by the major works going on
Florin S. (6 years ago)
Piazza San Babila is a great square, is not a tourist attraction but everybody in Milan knows where it is! It leads to the Duomo cathedral.
Shailesh Kumar (6 years ago)
nice place to hangout
Matt C (6 years ago)
Nice place to sit and rest - however at this time it is under renovations so will wait to visit again when it’s compete and I’m sure it will be much nicer!
Rebecca Wallace (6 years ago)
I was in Milan for a week recently to explore the buzz of the city. I had a wonderful stay in the San Babilia suite. A great location and pristine cleanliness. I felt very welcomed, the apartment was well furnished and I had everything in needed.
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