San Simpliciano - Main cloister, Cloister in Brera, Milan, Italy

The main cloister of San Simpliciano is a rectangular courtyard enclosed by arcades on paired Tuscan columns. The columns are set with their axis perpendicular to the sides of the courtyard, a rare arrangement in Mannerist architecture that gives the cloister its name, "cloister of the two columns." Above the arcades, a frieze of large triglyphs supports Ionic pilasters, and frescoed busts of saints appear above the windows.

Brick orders recorded from 1555 suggest work on the cloister body began that year, a few years after the basilica and monastery passed to the Benedictines. Contracts from 1559 onward commissioned well over a hundred columns from sculptor Alessandro Rocchetto. Between 1621 and 1623 work was entrusted to Francesco Maria Richini, though it is unclear whether this was restoration or never fully started. The overall design is attributed, controversially, to Vincenzo Seregni.

The name "cloister of the two columns" comes from the paired Tuscan columns, set with their axis perpendicular to the courtyard sides rather than parallel. The arcade between pilasters echoes the Bramante cloister of Sant'Ambrogio, and the spandrels carry frescoed busts of saints above the windows.

Access to the cloister is through the basilica, where visitors can walk under the broad arcades in the open air. The central location in Milan makes it easily reachable by public transport and on foot from other historic sites.

The cloister employs paired stone columns rather than single supports, creating an unusual rhythmic pattern throughout the arcades. This architectural choice visually sets it apart from other cloisters and reflects a deliberate design decision from the Renaissance period.