The basilica of S. Eustorgio rises along one of the most important streets of the city of Milan, the one leading to Pavia, capital of the Longobard kingdom. According to an ancient tradition, even today the procession with which every new bishop of Milan enters the city begins from here.
Today’s church is the result of a series of restorations over the centuries. The remains of an early Christian church are still visible under the apse, while elements of the Romanesque construction can be seen in the apse area and some capitals. In the 13th century the church was assigned to the friars of the Dominican order and the building, which was to be functional for the preaching activity of the friars, is characterized by the cancellation of the clear division between the main and side spaces, thus responding to the need to eliminate any physical and structural impediment to the listening by the faithful to the liturgy and preaching.
In the left corner of the gabled façade is a marble pulpit, built in 1597 to replace the original one from which, according to tradition, St. Peter the Martyr had preached.
The bell tower, erected between 1297 and 1309, with its 73 meters high, is the highest in the city and bears a star on the spire, symbol of the Magi.
Inside, along the nave, there are extraordinary works of art, both pictorial and sculptural.
