Museo della Basilica di Sant'Eustorgio

About the museum

The Museum of the Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio brings together very different monumental and artistic remains, all of them important for the history of Milan. Its oldest core is the early Christian cemetery beneath the nave of the church, where the remains of a late antique necropolis were discovered between 1959 and 1962.

The museum also includes the Chapter House and the Monumental Sacristy, built in 1565 and fitted with walnut cupboards made by a Milanese woodcarver on commission from the Negroli brothers. The cupboards display liturgical furnishings and precious reliquaries, which bear witness to the ties between many Milanese families and the Dominican convent; many of the objects known from the archives have been lost.

From the sacristy you enter the Portinari Chapel, a masterpiece of Lombard Renaissance architecture, built between about 1462 and 1468 at the behest of Pigello Portinari, head of the Medici Bank in Milan. The chapel contains Vincenzo Foppa’s fresco cycle with the stories of Saint Peter Martyr and, in the centre, the Ark of Saint Peter Martyr, carved by Giovanni di Balduccio between 1336 and 1339 and originally placed in the basilica. The museum is part of the Chiostri di Sant’Eustorgio, a complex that also includes the Museo Diocesano Carlo Maria Martini.

Highlights

• Portinari Chapel, a masterpiece of the Lombard Renaissance
• Frescoes by Vincenzo Foppa with the stories of Saint Peter Martyr
• Ark of Saint Peter Martyr by Giovanni di Balduccio
• Monumental sacristy of 1565 with walnut cupboards and reliquaries
• Early Christian cemetery beneath the basilica nave

Permanent exhibitions

• Cappella Portinari – Renaissance chapel with Vincenzo Foppa’s frescoes on the life of Saint Peter Martyr and the ark carved by Giovanni di Balduccio.
• Cimitero paleocristiano – Remains of a late antique necropolis discovered beneath the basilica nave between 1959 and 1962.
• Sala capitolare e Sacrestia monumentale – Two monumental rooms with walnut cupboards from 1565, liturgical furnishings and reliquaries.

Operated by

Fondazione Sant'Ambrogio per la Cultura Cristiana

Visitors per year

approx. 25,874

Admission & discounts

Online ticket purchase carries a €1 advance sales fee. For the Museo della Basilica the museum’s page lists the standard ticket at €6, reduced and groups at €4, schools and oratories at €3.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The website states that all spaces of the Museo Diocesano are accessible to people with mobility impairments; there is no specific information for the Museo della Basilica.

Kids & families

The Chiostri di Sant’Eustorgio complex offers educational services for schools and families.

Getting there & parking

The entrance is at Piazza Sant’Eustorgio 3, in the Chiostri di Sant’Eustorgio.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit