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Built in 1030 on the site of the ancient Roman forum, this church preserves a long Romanesque crypt.

“The Scala of football”, shared by rivals Inter and AC Milan.

Originally a modest Greek-cross church of 1486–1530, it was elongated with a massive nave and deep chapel niches in 1573 to make it the second largest church in Milan. Its interior is dominated by the work of Daniele Crespi: a portrait of San Carlo in the first chapel on the left, most of the Passion series below the cupola at the crossing, the organ doors and throughout the Museo della Basilica (a series of rooms that open to the right of the altar).

Leonardo’s extraordinary fresco of the Last Supper adorns a wall of the convent refectory (see Leonardo’s Last Supper) and is of course the chief attraction of this church. Other features include a magnificent Renaissance tribune, possibly designed by Bramante, who did the cloister and probably the main portal, too.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people visit Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper fresco in the adjacent refectory (see Leonardo’s Last Supper), but only a few bother with the lovely church itself. Make the effort, though, if you can: its architecture shows the stylistic changeover, from austere Gothic to Classical Renaissance, that marked the end of the 15th century. The art here is among Milan’s best in sculpture, fresco and the rare sgraffito (etched designs) recently restored in the tribune.

The name reflecting its proximity to the abutting Romanesque church of San Celso, this Renaissance church shot up with remarkable speed between 1493 and 1506. Its most alluring aspect is the cloister-like court before the entrance, designed by Cesare Cesarino and considered one of the best examples of early 16th-century architecture in Milan.

Brilliant Renaissance architect Bramante knew the only way to squeeze a Greek cross look into a space that only allowed room for a Latin cross was to concoct a layering of stuccoes, shallow angled niches and frescoes behind the altar to give the optical illusion of a barrel-vaulted presbytery. Another notable feature of this church is a 1483 Pietà group by Lombard sculptor Agostino De’ Fondutis (see Churches).

Though the main entrance is on Via Torino, walk around and up Via Speronari to see an 11th-century bell tower and the pretty exterior of a tiny Renaissance chapel. Turn right again on Via Falcone for the Renaissance-meets-Baroque rear façade finished in 1871. Here a secondary entrance is usually open, so you can nip inside to admire the 15th-century decorations.