SAN AMBROGIO CHURCH IN FULLSCREEN QTVR, MILAN
Fullscreen panoramas of San Ambrogio Church in Milan, Italy.
by Michelle Bienias
San Ambrogio was built by St. Ambrose, the Patron Saint of Milan, and is dedicated to the martyrs whose bones rest beneath its altar.
The original basilica dates back to the fourth century and was greatly modified throughout the centuries: in the 9th century an elaborate altar of gold and silver leaf studded with jewels and enamel was added by master goldsmith Volvinio; the bell tower on the south was constructed in the 9th century and the north tower was added in the 12th century; the church was restored externally and in the interior many times in the 15th, 17th and 18th centuries. The Basilica was redone in Romanesque style in the 12th century. During Sforza rule, the Bramante portico was added and between the 17th and 19th centuries, the basilica was renovated according to the tastes of the moment, from Baroque to neo-Classical. The Gothic style façade was remade in 1880. The basilica is the sole example of an atrium portico in Lombardy. The bell tower to the right of the façade was for the monks, whereas the tower to the left was for the canonical clergy. This division is symbolic of the difficult relationship between the Benedictines and the Ambrosian priests. Only a few traces of the original building remain in the area of the apse; namely the chapel of San Vittore in Ciel d’Oro. A miracle occurred in the church in 1230 when Father Ugoccione discovered that the wine left in the chalice from the previous mass had been transformed into blood. Thereafter, Saint Ambrogio became the destination for pilgrimages. Among the many masterpieces within the Basilica, perhaps the most beautiful and renowned piece is its golden altar commissioned to Volvinio by Angilberto II in the 9th century. The piece incorporates enamel, encrusted jewels and embossed metal work depicting episodes of the life of Jesus (in gold, on the front facing the nave) and the life of Ambrose (in silver, on the back of the altar). Another treasure is the 10th century vaulted canopy supported by columns and decorated on all four sides with stucco high relief work.
Read 'SANTA MARIA DELLE GRAZIE WITH LEONARDO DA VINCI'S LAST SUPPER'.
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