Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore - a church in Milan, named after the Christian martyr St. Lawrence. Located on the territory of the city "Basil Park", which are also the Basilica and the Roman column Sant'Eustordzhio San Lorenzo.

There are different opinions about how and when was built the Basilica of San Lorenzo, including that which relates to the foundation of the church of the 4th century. It is known that in the 16th century the church was renovated, but retaining its original architecture with Byzantine dome and four turrets, spiers reminiscent of Istanbul's Hagia Sophia. A recent study of the stratigraphic walls allowed the identification of five stages of the building of the basilica, from the time of Theodosius I (4th century) to the early Lombard period (6-8th century).

Basilica of San Lorenzo has a quatrefoil shape with a double hull and consists of an open central area surrounded Ambulatory - a semicircular bypass the gallery. Form quatrefoil church give four eksedry - deep niches with five arches each. A typical element of Byzantine architecture is Emporia - balcony, where only women were praying. Unfortunately, not completely preserved Emporia, as interior decoration multicolor. The dome of the basilica was rebuilt in Baroque style after the original hit.

Over the long history of the church it was attached to it for several hours, the most notable of which is the octagonal Cappella di Sant 'Aquilino standing to the south of the building of the basilica. Perhaps the chapel was conceived as a Roman mausoleum - it remained a valuable Paleo-Christian mosaic of the 4th century. Also, in the chapel of the remains of the martyr St. Aquilino, whose name it bears. Noteworthy reliquary of the 17th century, made by Lombard architect Carlo Caravajal and Urbino Carlo mural on the wall behind the main altar.

On the square in front of the Basilica can be seen the so-called Column of San Lorenzo - one of the few buildings of the Roman Mediolanum (Milan's predecessor), dated the 3rd century and was probably built by Emperor Maximilian. On the territory of the former apse of the basilica is now a park.