Milan Baptistery 
The 4th-century octagonal Baptistery of Milan. Click to enlarge and see
our Milan Baptistery Photo Gallery for many more views.
Baptismal font in which St. Augustine may have been baptized.
Baptistery inscription in fresco.
Apses of the baptistery, with marble pavement.
Apse of the 4th-century cathedral, with fresco.
Apse of the 5th-12th-century cathedral.
Mosaic fragment.
Ancient grave.
Location map and aerial view of Milan Baptistery. For a larger interactive view, see our Milan Map.
Beneath Milan's Duomo lies the Battistero Paleocristiano, ruins of a Early Christian Christian baptistery dating from the 4th century. The excavations also include the remains of earlier cathedrals. The Battistero is a magnificent example of an ancient octagonal baptistery and it is almost certainly where St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, baptized St. Augustine.
History
Milan's first cathedral was completed by 355 AD, when a synod was held there, and the baptistery was almost certainly complete by then as well. That makes it slightly newer than the Lateran Baptistery in Rome (the oldest baptistery in Europe) and older than the Baptistery of St. John in Poitiers (which is the oldest Christian building in France).
St. Ambrose became bishop of Milan in 374. He is credited with the inscription on the walls of the baptistery, which reads:
Eight-niched soars this temple for sacred rites
Eight corners has its font
Right it is to build this baptismal hall about the sacred number eight
For here the people are reborn.
In Christian symbolism, the number eight represents eternity and rebirth, because the world was created in seven days and Christ rose from the dead on the eighth day. Most Early Christian baptisteries, as well as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, were octagonal in plan.
St. Augustine came to Milan in 384 and was immediately impressed by the preaching of Bishop Ambrose. At first attending sermons to admire his rhetorical skill, Augustine was eventually moved by the message and converted to Catholic Christianity. Ambrose baptized Augustine and his son Adeodatus on Easter Vigil in 387. It is very likely that this momentous event - the baptism of one Latin Doctor of the Church by another - took place in this baptistery.
What to See
The ticket office and entrance to the excavations is inside Milan Cathedral, near the back. The excavated ruins include both the Cathedral of St. Thecla (in two incarnations: 4th century and 5th-12th century) and the 4th-century Baptistery.
The octagonal baptismal font is easily identifiable in the center, with apses radiating outward around it. Two canals that fed the font can be seen, as well as fragments of the marble pavement. There are also surviving pieces of fresco, inscription, bits of mosaic, and some artifacts such as oil lamps.
Quick Facts
Site Information |
| Names: | Milan Baptistery; Battistero Paleocristiano; Early Christian Baptistery |
| Location: | Milan, Lombardy, Italy |
| Category: | Baptisteries |
| Faith: | Christianity |
| Denomination: | Catholic |
| Status: | ruins |
| Date: | 355 AD |
| Architecture: | Paleochristian |
Visitor Information |
| Coordinates: | 45.464111° N, 9.190637° E (view on Google Maps) |
| Address: | Piazza del Duomo, Milan, Italy |
| Phone: | 02/86463456 |
| Hours: | Daily 9:30-5:15 |
| Cost: | €1.50. Tickets available from a kiosk inside the cathedral. |
Travel Resources for Milan
- Milan Map - our detailed interactive map of Milan, plus hand-picked links to more
- Milan Guided Tours - book sightseeing tours and activities in Milan
- Milan Hotels - check availability, maps, photos and reviews, then book at the guaranteed lowest rate
- Milan Hostels - reserve budget lodgings with no booking fees
- Milan Car Rentals - get the lowest rate by comparing multiple car companies at a glance
- Milan Travel Forum - tips, answers and advice on Milan tourism
Article Sources
Article written by Holly Hayes with reference to the following sources:
- Personal visit (May 12, 2008).
- Charles B. McClendon, The Origins of Medieval Architecture: Building in Europe AD 600-900 (Yale University Press, 2005), 13-15.
- Fodor's Italy 2005.
Article last updated: 09/12/2009.
