When I started researching what sites I wanted to see in Milan, Italy (and if they were accessible), one that was near the top of my list was San Bernardino alle Ossa. This is a church in Milan, not too far from the tourist center of the Duomo, which is best known for its ossuary, a small side chapel decorated with numerous human skulls and bones. A chapel covered in skulls and bones I just had to see.
Apparently there has been a church and cemetery in that location since Roman times. In the Medieval era, around 1145, a hospital was built next to the cemetery that catered to the poor and less fortunate (a common act of charity and mission churches used to do). But a hospital that serves the sick and destitute sees a lot of death. Its presence significantly increased the number of bodies being sent to the adjacent cemetery. By 1210 the cemetery had run out of space, so a room was built to hold the bones. A church was attached in 1269. Renovated in 1679, it was destroyed by a fire in 1712. A new bigger church was then attached to the older one and dedicated to Saint Bernardino of Siena. The ossuary was redone in the overdone (and somewhat macabre) Baroque style which is what we see today.
It sounded really cool, but I could find no information on if it was accessible. Since it was so close to other attractions in Milan, my daughter and I decided to just go and see.
Unfortunately, as I discovered, it was not a site that was easily accessible. Since I am somewhat ambulatory with a cane, I was able to navigate it with my daughter lifting my wheelchair over steps, but obstacles do exist. While the steps aren’t excessive, they make easy access in a wheelchair difficult.
First, to even enter the church there is a single step up. Once you are inside there is a foyer. Directly ahead is the main church sanctuary with three steps to get up into it. On the right of the foyer are two steps that lead to the hallway to the ossuary. The Ossuary itself is small and a fairly tight space, but I was able to manage moving around it in my electric wheelchair.
And it was a fascinating place to see. I am not used to churches openly displaying skulls and skeletons. In the United States such things are deemed spooky with churches often rejecting the imagery of death as horrific or satanic. To be surrounded by crosses made of skulls was a bit of a cultural disconnect for me. And gazing upon the bones of those who died some 800 years ago, knowing many were poor and suffering, is a sobering reminder of our own mortality.
So, is San Bernardino alle Ossa easily accessible? No. If you are ambulatory at all and can navigate a few stairs or have someone who can help you, it might be doable. But be prepared to navigate those steps.
