Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio

Romanesque riches and relics
Noteworthy for: Although most mosaics in the church have been restored, those in the fourth century Sacello di San Vittore on Ciel d’Oro are original; they have an exquisite faded charm.

Milan’s most sublime Lombard Romanesque church was built around 386AD by the city’s patron saint, Ambrogio, who is buried here. As with many ancient Milanese churches, it was extensively remodelled during the eighth to 11th centuries.
Beyond the perfect symmetry of the arcaded atrium lies a cross-vaulted nave with two aisles; the huge marble pulpit is embellished with a bronze eagle and supported by the carved marble sarcophagus of a Roman general.

A glittering mosaic in the apse and fragmented frescoes in the side chapels illustrate scenes from the life of Sant’Ambrogio, but the centrepiece of the church is the vast golden altar that houses his remains. Commissioned in 824AD from goldsmith Volvinius, it is studded with enamel and pearls and covered with golden relief work. It’s placed under an elaborate carved ninth century baldacchino and nowadays protected from the elements by a sturdy glass case.