San Nazaro is the Basilica Apostolorum, founded in 382 on via Porticata,and was the first of the basilicas requested by St. Ambrose. It was rebuilt in a Romanesque style after afire had destroyed it and in the 16th century its façade wasoccupied by Trivulzio’s funerary chapel. You will also see, behind the beautiful apse, Cà Granda, which was theoriginal site of the old Ospedale Maggiore and is now the site of the Universityof Milan. The original hospital was founded in 1456 by the Duke of Milan,Francesco Sforza, and his wife Bianca Maria Visconti. The hospital was the mainhospital of the city until it was moved across the canal in the 20thcentury, allowing for the state university to take over the location. Despite its many transformations, thebuilding still maintains the charm of the original cloisters with the ice-houseand woodshed and the famous Crociera di Filarete, or Filarete’s Cross. San Bernardino alle Ossa is a veryinteresting church, but its ossuary chapel makes it truly unique. In thebaroque style chapel, you will find the bones of the dead decoratively arrangedalong all the walls up to the ceiling. The room was built in 1210 when a nearbycemetery ran out of space and there was a need for a room to house the bones.The original church was attached in 1269, and was then replaced by a biggerchurch in 1776 dedicated to Saint Bernardino of Siena.
