Area archeologica del Battistero di San Giovanni alle Fonti

Beneath the forecourt of Milan Cathedral, the archaeological area preserves part of the Christian centre that preceded the Duomo. Its principal monument is the octagonal Baptistery of San Giovanni alle Fonti, where Ambrose baptised Augustine in 387.

Why it matters

The remains connect Milan's late-antique religious history with the later cathedral. They also reveal an earlier arrangement of churches: Santa Tecla served as the summer basilica, while Santa Maria Maggiore was known as the winter basilica. The baptistery formed part of this wider episcopal complex.

What to notice

Both the baptistery and its central font have an octagonal plan. Surviving sections of black-and-white geometric flooring recall its elaborate decoration, which also included marble panels and mosaics. Nearby are portions of Santa Tecla's apses, tombs and traces of a three-apsed hall probably associated with burial.

Context and history

Construction of the baptistery began in 378, during Milan's period as an imperial capital. Further embellishment followed in the sixth century. From around 1386, the building was demolished and buried as the new cathedral developed. Excavation recovered evidence of these earlier sacred spaces beneath the modern square.