San Babila is an important saint for the story of Milan. According to the tradition it was Babila, Antioch’s Bishop, who founded the Diocese of Milan; when he arrived to Milan during the 3rd century he founded a church over the ruins of an ancient pagan temple consecrated to Jupiter, the Basilica di San Babila, which it’s always been considered one of the most important churches of the city, apart from the Duomo and the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio.
The building has a neo-Romanesque façade conceived by Paolo Cesa Bianchi; an 1820 bell tower towers on the left. In the past a music box out on top of the tower used to play the same tune as London’s Big Ben. The Basilica di San Babila’s interior is arranged into three naves divided by pillars. Apart from some capitals there’s nothing left of the original church. The typical sobriety of the Romanic churches gave way to the splendour and the decorative opulence of early 20th century. In the first chapel on the left a commemorative stone reminds us that Alessandro Manzoni was baptized on March 8th 1785 in this church.