San Simpliciano, central nave
In Corso Garibaldi overlooking a small open square the classic beauty of San Simpliciano can be appreciated. The Church was one of the four founded in the fourth century by the saintly Bishop Ambrogio (Saint Ambrose) together with S. Nazaro Maggiore, S. Ambrogio and S. Dionigi which no longer exists.San Simpliciano is a Romanesque construction, incorporating the remains of the original early Christian Basilica, now radically changed by modern interventions. The "Basilica Virginum", dedicated to the Holy Virgins was built in the fourth century over a pagan cemetery according to the desire of Bishop Ambrose. Work was completed under his successor Simpliciano who organized the transfer of the remains of the martyrs of Anaunia. Three evangelists from Cappadoccia sent to Val di Non (Anaunia) were murdered there in the year 397 because of their opposition to pagan agrarian rites and originally buried there.
In the IXth century the Cluniacensian Benedictines took over the Church which became famous in 1176 due to the victory of the Milanese at Legnano against Barbarossa. During the 1176 campaign, precisely on the 29th May, the battle between the League and the imperial troops in the area between Busto Arsizio and Legnano was fought. It was decisive for the destiny of the Lombard Communes in conflict with Emperor Federico Barbarossa. The allied Communes were in difficulty but the Milanese army saved the day by overturning the likely outcome of the battle. Contemporary chronicler Galvino Fiamma transmitted the legendary news to posterity that on the day of the victorious battle of Legnano three doves took flight from the tomb of the Trent martyrs and came to rest on the Milanese "Carroccio" - a four wheeled cart drawn by oxen around which the Commune foot soldiers fought. At this point it was unanimously agreed that the merit for the victory of the Lombard League and above all the Milanese contingent was due to divine protection through the intercession of the three martyrs venerated in the basilica of S. Simpliciano.
Various interventions in Romanesque style were carried out between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries to the structure around the cupola, the apse, the initial part of the transept and the main door. In the year 517 the church and the convent became the responsibility of the Cassinese Benedictines until 1798 when the convent was turned into a barracks. In the 16th century the bell tower was lowered by about 25 metres by edict of Don Ferrante Gonzaga as were most of the others in proximity to the Castello Sforzesco. The dome and lateral areas were modified in 1582. In 1841 the much criticised intervention of Giulio Aluisetti, who had the pillars of the nave plastered over and made to look plainer, was carried out. The façade was rebuilt by Maciachini in1870 and in 1927 stained glass by Aldo Carpi representing the "Glory of the Carroccio" was posed in the windows of the façade. More recent restoration work has been aimed at uncovering part of the early Christian structure and the restoring the Romanesque characteristics of the Church.
On the façade only the middle portal still bears an ancient decoration with sculptures of the heads of two lions and frontal arches dating from the 11th century. The minor portals and the double and triple lancet windows are the work of Carlo Maciachini. The pillars between the portals indicate that the church once had a portico. The inside is on a Latin-cross plan with a nave and two side aisles with four pillars on each side. The transept was divided into twin aisles in the 12th century. The interior is fairly richly decorated. The fresco of The Coronation of the Virgin Mary in the apse painted in about 1515 by Bergognone is worthy of note as is the choir carved according to the design of Giuseppe Meda in 1588.
The entrance to the "basilichetta" or small basilica dedicated to the memory of the Martyrs of Anaunia is on the left hand side of the apse. It is on a Latin-cross plan with a semicircular apse, minute transept and cupola and may date as far back as the 4th century. Annexed to the Church is the beautiful former San Simpliciano convent nowadays seat of the Theological Faculty of northern Italy (Facoltà Teologica dell'Italia settentrionale), where two interesting fifteenth-sixteenth century cloisters can be admired.
