Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio

The Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio is the most important early church in Milan and, for many visitors, the most atmospheric. Saint Ambrose, bishop of Milan and one of the great figures of the early Church, founded it between 379 and 386 in an area where martyrs of the Roman persecutions had been buried. The building you see today dates mostly from the late 11th and 12th centuries and is a model of the Lombard Romanesque style, in warm brick with round arches and a broad, low facade.

You enter through a long arcaded atrium, a rare survival of this early church layout, with two bell towers rising behind it: the Monks' Tower from the 9th century and the taller Canons' Tower from 1144. Inside, the nave is dim and solemn. Look for the golden altar, made in the 9th century by the goldsmith Volvinius and covered with gold and silver panels and precious stones, under a ciborium supported on porphyry columns. In the crypt below, the remains of Saint Ambrose lie with those of the martyrs Gervasius and Protasius.

Off the right aisle is the chapel of San Vittore in Ciel d'Oro, whose 5th-century gold mosaics include one of the earliest known portraits of Ambrose. Also look out for the carved stone pulpit above a Roman-era sarcophagus. Outside, beside the church, a Roman column with two holes is known as the Devil's Column; legend says the devil left his horn marks in it while fighting the saint.

The basilica is an active parish church, so visits are not possible during services, and modest dress is expected. Entry to the church is free; there are fixed visiting times each day, which are published on the basilica's website. Allow 45 minutes to an hour. The basilica suits anyone interested in history or architecture, and its calm interior makes a good contrast with the busy centre. Milan celebrates its patron saint on 7 December, a city holiday.

The basilica has its own metro stop, Sant'Ambrogio on line M2. The Catholic University occupies the former monastery beside it, the Science and Technology Museum is a few minutes' walk away on Via San Vittore, and the Last Supper is about ten minutes on foot to the north.