Colonne di San Lorenzo Ruins

Address: Piazza San Lorenzo, 20123 Milano MI, Italy

Hours: Public space (accessible 24 hours)

Admission: Free (public square)

The Colonne di San Lorenzo are a row of ancient Roman columns on a small square in central Milan, positioned directly in front of the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore. The colonnade dates to antiquity and is one of Milan’s most recognizable remnants of the Roman city.

Sixteen standing columns in a colonnade are the principal feature, visible on the square and often photographed with the basilica as a backdrop. The area is a popular public space and meeting point that sits amid Milan’s historic centre.

The columns are ancient Roman in origin and were re-erected at or near this location in the medieval period; they likely came from Roman buildings in the city. The basilica behind them has early Christian and later medieval phases that provide a continuous historical urban context.

The colonnade sits on Piazza San Lorenzo in central Milan, immediately adjacent to the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore and within walking distance of other central landmarks.

• Column count: Sixteen ancient Roman columns form the visible colonnade, standing in a row in front of the basilica and the small square.

What to See#

• Colonnade: A colonnade of ancient Roman columns arranged in front of the basilica; these are the visible archaeological feature that gives the site its name and public presence.
• Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore: The adjacent Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore, a historic church that sits directly behind the colonnade and forms the urban context for the columns.

From Milano Centrale or Cadorna: take metro line M2 (green) or M3 (yellow) to Cadorna or MM2 to Lanza, then a 10-15 minute walk to Piazza San Lorenzo. Many trams and buses serve the central area; the site is in Milan’s historic centre.

• Visit at dusk to see the columns lit against the basilica façade and to catch the local aperitivo crowd.
• Stand with your back to the Basilica di San Lorenzo and look north: the columns form a classical screen that's best appreciated as an ensemble.
• If interested in archaeology, cross the street to the church to see Romanesque fragments reused in later structures.