Santuario di San Bernardino alle Ossa

As with every church I stumbled on in Milan, the inside was absolutely breathtaking. So many intricate details and beautiful art adorning the walls and ceiling. A nice, lighter breath of fresh air compared to the other sanctuary room a few steps away… But you cannot miss the other room! It’s macabre and fascinating all at once. The sheer number of bones on the walls was enough to make me shudder. A fascinating experience.

Must-visit church in Milan. Very eerie and mysterious atmosphere, with walls full of skulls and bones. You’re allowed to take pictures inside—just make sure to avoid using flash.

Incredible! Be sure to check out both cathedrals. If you turn immediately right you be guided to the room with hundreds of skulls! Such a wonderful experience. No tickets needed!

You should visit here to see the skull collection in the church. We find it quite interesting why a church has such a collection. Is it to scare or make people to think of their precious time in the world or remind them of the death or the Creator? It is free and everyone should visit this place to question and observe.

Tucked just off Piazza Santo Stefano, Santuario di San Bernardino alle Ossa is a quietly haunting gem of Baroque Milan. At first, its exterior seems modest—a simple octagonal façade that belies the intensity within . Step inside, and a narrow corridor leads you into the ossuary chapel, whose walls, pilasters, and cornices are meticulously clad in human skulls and bones arranged like eerie Rococo decorations . Above this macabre display, the ceiling soars with a luminous fresco by Sebastiano Ricci—The Triumph of Souls in a Flight of Angels—that creates a striking contrast between death and the divine . The chapel feels like a deeply reflective memento mori, reminding you of mortality while offering beauty and solemn awe . For history lovers, the ossuary’s bones are believed to be remains from the nearby hospital cemetery, artfully reorganized after a 17th-century collapse and reconstructed in 1695 . A legend even says King John V of Portugal was so moved that he replicated it in Évora.

In the historical center of Milan, not far from the crowded Duomo square, in the shadow of the parish church of Santo Stefano (famous for the fact that Caravaggio was baptized there), there is a very dark and mysterious place - the ossuary at the church of San Bernardino alle Ossa. The building we see now was built in 1750 according to the design of the architects Andrea Biffi and Carlo Giuseppe Merlo in the Baroque and Rococo style. It belonged to the Brotherhood of the Flagellants, whose monks created the ossuary. A mystical place, surrounded by many legends and stories. The bones were left behind when the old cemetery of the Brolo hospital was demolished when it was closed in 1652. The monks of the Flagellant Order collected the bones of those who died in the hospital, as well as the bones of the monks and canons of St. Stephen, and decorated the walls of the chapel in the most macabre way possible. If the goal was to impress, the monks certainly succeeded. The chapel was so revered that one of its visitors was John V, King of Portugal, when he was in Milan. He was so impressed by the ossuary that he ordered a similar one to be built in the city of Evora, near Lisbon: the Chapel dos Ossos. In the following years, the influx of pilgrims increased so much that the small church next to the chapel had to be expanded, creating the current building of San Bernardino.

The place is small yet so detailed. Completely free to visit, but can be busy. When we went there were 2 weddings underway so it was amazing to see.

Here’s a more detailed and engaging version of your description: The Santuario di San Bernardino alle Ossa is one of Milan’s most unique and hauntingly beautiful churches. Unlike traditional ornate cathedrals, this sanctuary is decorated with something far more unusual—human bones and skulls. As you step inside, you're immediately struck by the eerie yet mesmerizing sight of walls adorned with carefully arranged skulls and skeletal remains. This macabre yet artistic display dates back centuries and serves as a powerful reminder of mortality (memento mori), a common theme in Baroque religious art. Despite its unsettling appearance, the chapel has a strangely peaceful atmosphere, making it a fascinating place to reflect on history and spirituality. If you're in Milan and looking for something off the beaten path, San Bernardino alle Ossa is well worth a visit. It’s an experience that is both chilling and awe-inspiring, offering a glimpse into a lesser-known yet deeply intriguing side of the city's past.