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Basilica of Saint Ambrose
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The basilica of Sant'Ambrogio is one of the most ancient churches of Milan: built between the year 379 and 386 on the place where the Christian martyrs were buried, it was dedicated to Sant'Ambrogio (Saint Ambrose) when he was buried here too. From the 4th century the church has seen a series of reconstructions; its current shapes date back to the years between 1088 and 1099, when it was rebuilt according the patterns of romanesque architecture.
The basilica is an exceptional work, considered the most important example of Lombardic romanesque architecture: typical features are the two bell towers, the wide and low facade, the red bricks and the porch that precedes the real church.
The right bell tower, called "dei monaci", dates back to the 8th century and has the typical austere aspect of the defense towers. That left one, called "dei canonici", is higher and dates back to 1144.
The porch is characterized by the decorations of the capitals of the columns, that evoke trees, mythological figures and monsters.
The Basilica keeps in its interior precious works of art, as the sarcofago di Stilicone, the golden altar of Volvino and much more.
One of the most important works is the mosaic: on a golden background we can see the figure of Christ Pantocrator, surrounded by the martyrs Gervasio and Protasio and the archangels Gabriel and Michael. This mosaic was seriously damaged in 1943 by the bombings that destroyed great part of the city of Milan.
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