Milano, Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore

The Basilica of S. Lorenzo was built towards the half of the IV century, just outside the roman walls, using the marbles taken form other nearby roman buildings. It underwent several fires in 1071, 1120 and 1124. Re-built in the Romanesque age, its central part tumbled down in 1573 and Martino Bassi (Seregno, 1542-Milan, 1591) was appointed to build the new cupola. Despite all these unfortunate events, the basilica maintained many of the primitive structure's elements, so that amateurs can still identify the traces of the subsequent superimpositions outside and inside its perimeter. Probably at the beginning of the V century a.C., on occasion of the building of the basilica, the columns of a big building of the II century a.C. from another part of the city were dismantled and reused in the construction of a wide quadrangular hall opposite to the Basilica. At present, the columns are all that remains of the monumental hall front, and their aspect is the result of several interventions through time, from the Middle Ages on. Three of the four towers, made of rustic masonry, maintained the original style. The structure of the three peripheral chapels, today dedicated to S. Aquilino, S. Ippolito and S. Sisto, is of Byzantine age. The most suggestive view of the Basilica can be appreciated from Piazza della Vetra, where it is possible to observe the whole apsidal complex, marked by the three Saint's chapels. Unlike the majority of the Paleochristian churches, the interior has a central ground plan, which is not surprising, considering that the basilica was erected as Arian church and that only later on S. Ambrogio succeeded in acquiring it from the ecclesiastic properties of Milan. It is composed of a wide octagonal room with two orders of arcades, overtopped by the magnificent cupola; the ambulacrum develops all around. Works. The Basilica's style has often been imitated and represents a fundamental stage in western history of art and architecture. As for the details, you just need to look around to realize what remains and what has been done in centuries. Opposite to the entrance is the baroque major altar, made of ancient marbles taken from the original structures of the temple. In presence of the keeper it is also possible to visit the southern sacellum of the basilica, today S. Aquilino's Chapel, which is an extremely interesting experience. The sacellum is preceded by a "vestibule", where it is still possible to see the remains of a mosaic covering of the first decades of the V century a.C.. Along the longitudinal walls a series of figures were originally distributed on two floors: below, the figures of the "Patriarchs", preserved only in a small part; above, the "Apostles" and, it is thought, the "Christ", whereas the transversal walls were decorated with figures of the "Martyrs". The passage portal presents a precious marble frame of the Flavia Age (second half of the I century a.C.) with ornamental figures and chariot racing scenes. The chapel was built in the IV century a.C. as octagonal small basilica used for baptisms, and represents the most intact and beautiful of the existing octagonal buildings from the Roman world. Inside it is possible to see the "sarcophagus" (datable in the IV and V century a.C.) situated in a cubbyhole, usually called of Galla Placidia, from the name of Emperor Teodosio's daughter, who died in 450 and, according to the tradition, ordered the construction of this small basilica. As for the surviving frescoes, the most ancient ones are in the upper gallery of the chapel: possible sketches or trails for mosaics, they are datable in the IV century. The most precious treasure is represented by the remnants of mosaics which once must have decorated the whole place, of course not inferior in opulence and beauty to the Roman-Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna, depicting " The Rape of Elias" on the left and " Christ among the Apostles" on the right.