Church Fever: the best and the hidden churches of Milan

Ever dreamed of being Indiana Jones and investigating ancient churches, discovering unknown secret messages and meanings behind the artworks in grand churches? Is that just us? While we can’t promise the excitement and mystery of an Indiana Jones movie, and whether or not you are religious, there is still something so special and enticing about a church… so here we have a list of our top churches, besides the classic and famous Duomo and why.

Also, before we get started, an interesting fact… In Italy, every day of the year has a Saint and it is common practise to name your child after a saint, so that they have a saint day, hence why in Italy, you always seem to hear the same names: Carlo, Francesco, Alice (ali-che), Sofia… they all have a saint day. In the south, the towns the saints came from have a huge celebrations for them- a rather lovely and beautiful tradition and part of the culture.

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Santa Maria del Carmine Church is a church tucked into the beautiful area that is Brera. Nestled at the back of a large piazza with hipster restaurants, and modern art, this church is stunning to look at, to say the least, both inside and out. It’s worth getting up close to admire the decoration on the doorframe.

Basilica San Lorenzo Maggiore is located right next to the famous Colonne di San Lorenzo and if you’ve gone to see the Colonne, don’t forget the Basilica! This church was designed with a rather unusual layout and to this day it strikes an interesting resemblance to the Hagia Sofia in Turkey.

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Church of San Fedele is tucked away in the twisting streets behind the Duomo, shining out onto Piazza San Fedele. In the hustle and bustle in the centre city, this piazza and church is a secret haven to take some time to yourself, to admire the architecture and the artwork inside the church.

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Santa Maria delle Grazie is the church that holds the famous ‘The Last Supper’ by Leonardo da Vinci and is placed in a very special and beautiful area of Milan. As mentioned in our previous article aboutLeonardo da Vinci, it is near this church that the vineyard of Leonardo is located, it would have been in this area that Leonardo spent much time, while he worked, and struggled, on his masterpiece.

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Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio is the church of the Milan’s beloved Saint Ambrogio, bishop of the city, and if you enter this church, you can admire and feel the importance of him, as the church itself is a grand design, both the inside and outside space, and you can often hear singing as you wander through and around it. Here in the church you can find the crypt of the saint.

It is impossible not to mention San Maurizio at the Monastero Maggiore, also known as the Milanese Sistine Chapel. Rich in decorations and frescoes that will leave you speechless.

Written by Daisy Spanton