Cripta di San Sepolcro, Milan — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Beneath the streets of Milan lies one of the city's most extraordinary hidden treasures: the Cripta di San Sepolcro. Founded in 1030 by Benedetto Rozzone, a Milanese mint master, on the site of the ancient Roman Forum of Mediolanum, this underground church was rededicated in 1100 following the reconquest of Jerusalem. Walk on its floor and you are actually stepping on 4th-century Roman Forum pavement, an archaeological layer connecting two wildly different historical periods in one dimly lit space. The crypt's most famous admirer was Leonardo da Vinci. During his first stay in Milan at the court of Ludovico il Moro, Leonardo became fascinated with San Sepolcro and created detailed architectural drawings of both the upper church and the underground crypt. Pages from his Codex Atlanticus, preserved in the nearby Ambrosiana library, include Leonardo's precise sketches and a map of Milan with San Sepolcro marked as what he considered the city's true center. After being closed to the public for 50 years, the crypt was finally reopened in 2016 following careful restoration that recovered decorated surfaces and renewed the installations. Today, descending into this atmospheric space is like stepping into a timeline that runs from ancient Rome through the medieval church to the Renaissance mind of Leonardo. Questo's Milan adventures lead you to hidden gems like this one, where the stories beneath the surface are even more fascinating than what you see above ground.