Originally built in A.D. 379 on the tombs of St. Gervasio and St. Protasio, the basilica is the symbolic church of Milan. The Romanesque facade is one of the best examples of Lombard period architecture. The cloisters and presbytery were designed by Bramante who installed a fine portico. There are many priceless treasures here including the parchment on an early Christian sarcophagus, the splendid apse, enhanced by a beautiful mosaic with the form of the Redeemer blessing, and the ciborium, by Volvino, on the gold altar.
