Why go

From the street, San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore looks like a modest Renaissance church. Step inside and every surface glows with colour. Its walls, arches and vaults are entirely covered with frescoes painted in the 16th century, many of them by Bernardino Luini, one of Leonardo’s most gifted followers, and his sons. It is no surprise that Milanese call it their Sistine Chapel, and unlike many of the city’s treasures it is free to enter.

The church belonged to the Monastero Maggiore, the most important Benedictine convent in Milan. A wall divided it in two: the front half was open to the public, while behind the altar lay the hall where the cloistered nuns followed Mass unseen. Both halves are painted, and both are open to visitors today.

What to see

  • The public hall. Luini’s scenes of the life of St Maurice and portraits of the Bentivoglio family, the church’s patrons.
  • The nuns’ hall. Reached through a passage beside the altar, with a Passion cycle and Noah’s Ark among the frescoes.
  • The organ. A rare 16th-century instrument, still used for concerts.
  • The choir stalls. Carved wooden seats where the nuns sat.
  • The starry vaults. Painted blue skies scattered with gold stars above both halls.

Plan your visit

The church opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5.30pm, with last entry at 5pm, and is closed on Mondays and from 11 to 21 August. Entry is free. It is kept open by volunteers from the Touring Club Italiano, so it can occasionally close at short notice; check the notices on the Civic Archaeological Museum’s website before making a special trip.

Half an hour to 45 minutes is enough to see both halls properly. The lighting is kept low to protect the frescoes, so give your eyes a moment to adjust and avoid using flash.

The church is part of the same complex as the Civico Museo Archeologico, which displays Roman Milan, early medieval finds and a well-preserved tower of the Roman city walls in the old convent cloister. It has its own ticket and the same closing day. A visit to both takes about two hours and gives a good picture of Milan before the Sforza, from the Roman capital of the western empire to the medieval city.

Getting there

San Maurizio is on Corso Magenta, about five minutes’ walk from Cadorna station on Metro lines M1 and M2, and about the same from the Castello Sforzesco. Trams run along Corso Magenta.

Tips

Go through to the nuns’ hall, which many visitors miss, and look back at the dividing wall from both sides. Weekday mornings are the quietest time. Concerts using the historic organ are held from time to time; look out for posters at the door or on the museum’s website.

Nearby

The Last Supper is about ten minutes’ walk west along Corso Magenta, so San Maurizio makes a good stop before or after your slot. The Castello Sforzesco and the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio are each within ten minutes on foot, and Corso Magenta has several historic pastry shops for a break.