Colonne di San Lorenzo: Roman Milan and the City's Favourite Meeting Place

Sixteen Corinthian columns stand in a row in front of a basilica, in the middle of a busy square. They are the most substantial Roman remains in Milan, they are around 1,800 years old, and on summer evenings hundreds of people sit on their steps with a drink. Guests at Taylor's Love Solferino B&B pass them on the way to the Navigli.

Colonne di San Lorenzo, Milan. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Getting There from Our B&B

By metro and tram: from Moscova (M2 green line), 300 metres from the B&B, take the M2 to Sant'Ambrogio, then tram 3 south. Or take the M2 to Missori and walk. Around 25 minutes door to door.

On foot: approximately 2.4 km, about 30 minutes straight through the centre past the Duomo – the more interesting option.

When Milan Was the Capital of the Roman Empire

People forget this: from 286 to 402 AD, Milan – Mediolanum – was the capital of the Western Roman Empire. It was here in 313 that Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which ended the persecution of Christians and changed the course of European history.

The sixteen columns date from the second or third century. They did not originally stand here: they were taken from a Roman temple or bath complex and re-erected in the fourth century as a portico for the new basilica. Recycling monumental architecture was completely normal in late antiquity.

Behind them, the Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore is one of the oldest churches in the city, founded around 370 AD on a circular plan that has been rebuilt many times but never abandoned.

What to See

• The colonnade – sixteen columns, most still carrying their Corinthian capitals, with the paving worn smooth by centuries.
• The statue of Constantine – a bronze copy of the Roman original, standing in front of the basilica.
• Cappella di Sant'Aquilino – attached to the basilica, with fourth-century mosaics among the oldest Christian mosaics in the world. Small entrance fee.
• The Roman foundations – beneath the chapel you can walk among blocks from the Roman amphitheatre, reused in the fourth century.
• Porta Ticinese – the medieval gate a hundred metres south, on the road down to the Navigli.
• Parco delle Basiliche – the green space behind, linking San Lorenzo to Sant'Eustorgio.

Practical Information

• The columns and square: free, open at all hours.
• Basilica di San Lorenzo: free, generally 08:00 to 18:30.
• Cappella di Sant'Aquilino: a small charge of a few euro – worth every cent for the mosaics.
• Best time to visit: late afternoon, when the low sun lights the columns, then stay as the square fills up.
• In the evening: this is one of the liveliest spots in Milan, popular with students. Cheerful and busy rather than elegant.

On the Way to the Navigli

San Lorenzo sits exactly on the route between the Duomo and the Darsena. A good evening: Duomo, then the columns at sunset, then fifteen minutes further south to the water for dinner on the Navigli.

Why Staying in Brera Makes the Difference

Taylor's Love Solferino B&B is at Via Solferino 56 in Zone 1, the historic centre, between Brera, Moscova and Corso Garibaldi. Milan's best evenings tend to run late and end somewhere south of the centre – being inside Zone 1 means the way home is short whichever route you take.

For travellers who prefer a short stay apartment in Milan centre to a hotel, the B&B offers free self check-in with a smart lock, so there is no curfew and nobody waiting up. Porta Garibaldi FS, 700 metres away, connects directly to Malpensa Airport with the Malpensa Express.