San Babila was the thirteenth bishop of Antioch, succeeding Zebennos around the year 238. He died a martyr under Emperor Decius in 250, punished for the crime of lèse-majesté: he had rightly dared to prevent Emperor Philip, a murderer, from entering the temple. Along with San Babila, three children died: Urban, Prilidian, and Epolonius, children of Theodula, who had entrusted them to Babila to be educated in the Christian faith.
The cult of San Babila, very widespread in the East, soon reached the West, especially in France, Switzerland, and Spain. In Italy, he is venerated not only in Milan but also in Cremona and Florence as the protector of priestly purity and chastity.
The Basilica of San Babila in Milan
Historians of Lombard art and architecture have established that the construction of the Basilica of San Babila dates back to the last decades of the 11th century, near the then city walls. The existence of the church is attested by a document from 1099. According to tradition, the building was erected on the vestiges of the Concilium Sanctorum (Council of Saints), the primitive residence of the missionary clergy from the East, which arose in the 7th century on the ruins of a pagan temple dedicated to the sun god.
Over the centuries, the basilica underwent various architectural modifications, such as the reconstruction of the facade in the Baroque period. In 1826, its poor condition led some to propose its demolition. However, these plans were not realized; instead, between 1881 and 1890, architect Paolo Cesa Bianchi restored the basilica, returning it to its original forms with the addition of the Neo-Romanesque facade, completed in 1905 by architect Cesare Nava.
The bell tower, which collapsed in 1575, was rebuilt in 1821 in Baroque style and clad in Neo-Romanesque style in 1927.
The Secular and Religious History of Milan
The Basilica of San Babila is integral to the secular and religious history of Milan. It is connected to the civic movement of the free Commune and the religious movement of the Pataria. The glorious “Five Days of Milan” originated near the basilica: from here, citizens marched towards the Government Palace on Corso Monforte to demand the establishment of the civic guard. The barricade of San Babila was one of the most active, and the nearby Porta Orientale was the first to raise the tricolor flag.
Virtually nothing remains of the original construction. The current building is the result of significant architectural transformations over time, particularly between the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The air raids during World War II caused further destruction, including the bell tower, and damage to the facade.
The Architecture of the Basilica
Exterior
The facade of the basilica, reconstructed in Neo-Romanesque style, is of the gabled type, with decorative arches under the cornices and three pilasters corresponding to the three naves. The three portals are adorned with semicircular mosaic lunettes. In the central lunette, Christ is depicted blessing with the Gospels on a golden background. The central portal is surmounted by a large triforium with sculpted capitals; above it, a window in the shape of a Greek cross and two semicircular single-lancet windows.
The bell tower, set back from the facade, consists of a high square tower with three orders of windows: single-lancet windows at the lower level, double-lancet windows at the middle level, and triple-lancet windows at the upper level. The crown is made of brick.
Interior
The interior of the basilica, whose layout dates back to the restorations after 1926, consists of three naves separated by pillars with semi-columns, topped by cross vaults (central nave) and barrel vaults (side naves). The naves are divided into four bays, the first of which is the result of a complete reconstruction. Between the central nave and the presbytery rises the octagonal lantern, added at a later date compared to the original structure.
Of notable artistic value are the original capitals from the 11th century, which bear a strong resemblance to those of the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio.
There are 16th-17th century plaques placed on the right wall at the entrance of the basilica.
The apse mosaic, depicting San Babila and the three children martyred with him, was created in 1890 by Luigi Cavenaghi. The lunettes between the lateral arches and the dome, decorated with figures of the Redeemer and the Virgin surrounded by various saints, are mosaics overlaid in 1929 on the original frescoes by the same author.
In the right side chapel, built in the 1500s to house the Blessed Sacrament, there is an altarpiece depicting Saint Francis of Assisi, a late 19th-century work by Giuseppe Bertini.
The left side chapel, symmetrical to the previous one, dates back to the early 17th century and houses an altarpiece depicting Saint Joseph, a work by Ludovico Pogliaghi, the famous author of the main door of Milan Cathedral.
The second left side chapel, rebuilt in 1951, houses the altarpiece of Our Lady of Sorrows, a work by the painter Augusto Colombo.
The current baptistery, built in 1937 to a design by architect Alfonso Orombelli, is embellished with a tall bronze altarpiece depicting the baptism of Jesus Christ, a work by Fausto Melotti. The bronze cover of the baptismal font, decorated with angels holding a silver garment resting on a quartz block, is also of notable artistic value.
Inside the basilica is a Zanin pipe organ, built entirely with a mechanical transmission system. The instrument, inspired by German Baroque organs, is used for liturgies and concerts.
