Lombardia itineraries:
Milano Sant'Ambrogio

Milano Sant'Ambrogio

A fine example of the Romanesque-Lombard churches, Milano Sant'Ambrogio church was founded between 379 and 386 by Sant’Ambrogio, patron Saint of Milano, as a basilica dedicated to Christian martyrs. Sant’Ambrogio himself was buried there in 397.

The exterior of the church consists of an atrium, called Ansperto’s Atrium, with porticos on three sides, while the fourth is partly integrated in the facade. Underneath the portico are preserved architectonic fragments from the original construction.

It is worthwhile mentioning the two bell-towers flanking the facade, Campanile dei Monaci and Campanile dei Canonici.

In the interior of the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, one of the most interesting works is represented by the famous Altare d’Oro, a masterpiece of Carolingian gold craftsmanship dating back to 836.
 

Outside the atrium, in the Piazza Sant'Ambrogio, taking its name after the city’s patron Saint, it is possible to admire the Tempio della Vittoria, an imposing octagonal marble building conceived in honor of the soldiers killed during the First World War.

Text Courtesy of Welcome to Milano - By the Town Turist Office

© 1997-2010 Enrico Massetti
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