The Church of Sant'Alessandro in Zebedia is located on the site where tradition has it that St Alexander the Martyr was held prisoner, the so-called 'Zebedia' or 'Zebedeo' prison of Roman times, from which the church's name derives.
Built for the Barnabite friars in the 9th century on the ruins of the Roman Praetorium, the church has a central plan with a dome forming the presbytery. It has been assumed that the building was designed by architect Galeazzo Alessi, who had returned from Genoa and was active in Milan at the time. The façade, decorated with bas-reliefs, is sided by two bell towers. The piazza that hosts the large church is one of the few spaces in old Milan untouched by post-war reconstruction.
