- Art & Culture
- Religious Tourism
Rotonda della Besana
If you want something unusual, visit the Rotonda di via Besana, a show of romantic and mysterious round shapes
The Rotonda della Besana stands out for its originality amid our suggested monuments. Milan has given new life to this once-derelict building.
It is a particular late-baroque compound in the eastern part of the regional capital. This wil give you the chance to enjoy both religious and artistic tourism in Milan at a single destination.
The actual Rotonda della Besana is a church located inside a brick arcade. It was erected in 1695 as a cemetery for the deceased of the Maggiore Hospital.
Excavation due to the recent restoration efforts have yielded about 150 thousand corpses buried in its crypt.
During the age of Austrian rule in the late XVIIIth centuries, it was imposed to move cemeteries outside of the city walls, thus the monument was closed and fell into disuse.
Afterwards it served as barracks, as a barn and even as a laundry until 1958 when it became property of the Municipality, which decided to restore it and provide citizens with a space for cultural aggregation. Nowadays it is a renowned exhibition venue for events and demonstrations, drawing tourism from all over the country and abroad.
The Rotonda hosts the the MUBA, Children's Musem since 2014. It is a permanent center for developing projects that focus on art and culture for kids and teenagers.
