Sixteen Corinthian columns standing in a row in front of a basilica, moved here in the fourth century from some earlier Roman building and left in the open ever since. This was Mediolanum, capital of the western Roman empire for a hundred years, and this is the largest piece of it still above ground.
The square behind them is where young Milan sits on the steps in the evening with a drink from the shop.
What it costs
⭐ Free. The columns are in a public square. The basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore behind them is free to enter; its fourth-century Cappella di Sant’Aquilino, with the mosaics, takes a small admission and is the reason to go in.
When to go
Evening, when the square fills. Daytime for the chapel, which needs light through the windows.
Getting there
Tram 3 from the Duomo, or fifteen minutes on foot down Via Torino. The Navigli are ten minutes further on.
If you only have an hour
The columns, then straight into the basilica for the Sant’Aquilino mosaics, then walk on towards the Darsena. Forty minutes.
What people get wrong
⚠️ Almost everybody photographs the columns and skips the chapel. The mosaics behind the basilica are late Roman, are extraordinary, and take five minutes.
Nearby
Admissions, closing days and booking arrangements as published and checked on 7 September 2026. These change — the Last Supper’s release schedule has changed more than once — so confirm anything you are relying on before you travel. More sights, and how they fit together, in Landmarks & Sights.