Sant' Ambrogio, Milan

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Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio is one of the most ancient of Milanese churches. This is the burial place of Saint Ambrogio the Bishop of Milan, Saint Gervasius and Saint Protasisus the martyrs. Late Roman General Flavius Stilicho also is buried here in the luxurious tomb.
Admission to the church, crypt and cloisters is free although the donations are highly welcomed.
Near the entrance to the church you can see the column which was rammed by the devil. According to the legend the devil tried to put Saint Ambrogio into deep temptation but Saint Man instead fell into deep pray. Devil was so furious about his failure that he rammed the column with his own horns. If you don’t believe that then have a look at the column it still bears the holes made by the devil’s horns.
Don’t forget to observe fabulous wood carving on the central doors covered by the glass and of course have a look at the columns and its capitals.
Admission to Basilica’s museum is 2 euros. That museum is small but worth to visit because you shall be able to see some masterpieces made during the period from VII through XVIII centuries.
Visitors are allowed to take noncommercial photo without flash light and tripod.
OPENING TIME:
From Tuesday through Sunday
09:30-11:45 and 14:30-18:00;
Closed on Monday

4 more images

Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio is one of the most ancient Milanese churches. This is the burial place of Saint Ambrogio the Bishop of Milan, Saint Gervasius and Saint Protasisus the martyrs. Late Roman General Flavius Stilicho also is buried here in the luxurious tomb.
Admission to the church, crypt and cloisters is free although the donations are highly welcomed.
Admission to Basilica’s museum is 2 euros. That museum is small but worth to visit because you shall be able to see some masterpieces made during the period from VII through XVIII centuries.
Visitors are allowed to take noncommercial photo without flash light and tripod.
OPENING TIME:
From Tuesday through Sunday
09:30-11:45 and 14:30-18:00;
Closed on Monday

4 more images

Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio is one of the most ancient Milanese churches. This is the burial place of Saint Ambrogio the Bishop of Milan, Saint Gervasius and Saint Protasisus the martyrs. Late Roman General Flavius Stilicho also is buried here in the luxurious tomb.
Admission to the church, crypt and cloisters is free although the donations are highly welcomed.

Admission to Basilica’s museum is 2 euros. That museum is small but worth to visit because you shall be able to see some masterpieces made during the period from VII through XVIII centuries.
Visitors are allowed to take noncommercial photo without flash light and tripod.
OPENING TIME:
From Tuesday through Sunday
09:30-11:45 and 14:30-18:00;
Closed on Monday

4 more images

Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio is one of the most ancient Milanese churches. This is the burial place of Saint Ambrogio the Bishop of Milan, Saint Gervasius and Saint Protasisus the martyrs. Late Roman General Flavius Stilicho also is buried here in the luxurious tomb.
Admission to the church, crypt and cloisters is free although the donations are highly welcomed.
Admission to Basilica’s museum is 2 euros. That museum is small but worth to visit because you shall be able to see some masterpieces made during the period from VII through XVIII centuries.
Visitors are allowed to take noncommercial photo without flash light and tripod.
OPENING TIME:
From Tuesday through Sunday
09:30-11:45 and 14:30-18:00;
Closed on Monday

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This is another very old, very interesting chiesa that does an unusually good job of providing some signage (in English!) to tell you what you’re looking at. Basilica Martyrum (Church of the Martyrs) was one of several religious houses established by St. Ambrose in the 4th century. Patron saint of Milan, he’s entombed in this church that was later rededicated in his name. It shares some characteristics of San Lorenzo Maggiore in that it was constructed outside the city walls during the same era, was near the burial place of some notable early Christian martyrs, and has been extensively rebuilt but roughly follows the original plan. Similarly, it also incorporates a 4th-century funerary chapel which would once have been a separate structure.

But that’s where any resemblances end as St. Ambrose’s three-aisled footprint is of completely different shape, and the rebuilt structure is 11th-century Romanesque design. It’s just packed with goodies inside: a very interesting 4th-century sarcophagus; a gold and silver altar dating from 835; 9th-century mosaics; medieval frescoes… all sorts of stuff. My favorites were a fascinating array of carved capitols on the arcaded portico outside the entrance. Dating from the 11th and 12th-centuries, they’re decorated with twining botanicals, fierce beasts, winged creatures, squatty little people, and no two are alike.

Down in the crypt you’ll find the mouldering remains of Sant’Ambrogio himself flanked by two others - Gervasio and Protasio - whom Ambrose had enshrined in his original basilica. All three were eventually piled into one sarcophagus and entombed in that gold and silver altar upstairs, which had been designed for the purpose, and then relocated here sometime after the crypt was built in the 1100’s.

I paid a small fee of €2 to peer into Cappella di San Vittore in Ciel D’oro: the Chapel of St. Victor of the Golden Sky. This was the ancient shrine that pre-dated the original basilica and which was merged into the fabric of the current church in the 1400’s. It's sheathed in beautiful 5th-century mosaics which underwent hefty reconstruction after the church was badly bomb-damaged during WWII. This part of the church also contains a small museum of reliquaries, ancient artifacts and other paraphernalia. Among them is a 1944 creche that was painstakingly created from scavenged materials by Italian prisoners in the German concentration camp at Wietzendorf. The sign said that one piece - an ox - was left at the camp in remembrance of soldiers who “saw this Nativity Scene come into being but did not come home.”

You can take a few nice 360-degree tours of the church and portico here:
http://www.360cities.net/image/milan-basilica-ambrose-ambrogio-nave-altar#0.00,-5.00,70.0

Open Mon- Sat from 10:00 - 12:00 and 2:30 - 6:00; Sunday from 3:00 - 5:00. As with all Italian churches, please remember to dress modestly: no uncovered knees or shoulders.

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As I described in my first tip about Sant' Ambrogio, the church is a very nice place to be, it is beautiful and has a wonderful atmosphere. However, there are also some special features that are worth having a closer look!

Pictures 1, 3 & 4: This is the sarcophagus of Stilicho, said to keep the mortal remains of the Roman General Stilicho. It was created in the 4th century and I found it to be incredibly fascinating - such a beautiful work, and so many fascinating figures and scenes shown! And to think that it is so old!

Picture 2: A fresco of Sant' Ambrogio, the bishop himself

Picture 5: The golden mosaic of the apsis is from the 12th century. I thought that somehow, the gold does not really fit to the overall interior of the church.

Apart from these, there are many more interesting things to see: The altar paneling is the only one left from the Karolingians in the world, there are two pillars with a snake and a cross on top, probably dating back to around 1000A.D., and the chapel San Vittore featuring mosaics.

Take your time when visiting this church, wander around and have a look - it's worth it :-)

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The atrium is what you see first when you enter Sant' Ambrogio, it is a spacious inner courtyard and you walk through it before you enter the building of the church itself. I had never seen such an atrium before (or if I have, not one in this style), and therefore I was fascinated by the architecture and the atmosphere it created. I found it just so interesting and beautiful.

Before Milan's city walls were built, the atrium was a place where the citizens found protection when the city was attacked.
A very interesting feature are the capitals of the pillars. They show scenes from the bible as well as mythical creatures. Most of them are from the 11th century, and the scenes shown symbolize the fight between good and evil.

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Sant' Ambrogio was another beautiful church that we visited in Milan. I was really fascinated by this church and its many interesting features.

The church was constructed from 379 to 386A.D., at a place where an early Christian tomb had been. The bishop responsible for the project was Bishop Ambrosio, hence the name. He was also buried here, and thus the church was named after him. Over the centuries, the church was fundamentally changed: Benedictine monks enlarged it substantially in the 8th century, the atrium was added about a hundred years later and renovated in the 12th century. Further changes were done by the Sforza family in the end of the 15th century.

When you arrive at Sant' Ambrogio, you first walk through the atrium, an enclosed courtyard which is very beautiful (see next tip). You then enter the church itself, which is very spacious and has a very special atmosphere. I enjoyed it very much. I also found the building very interesting because I had never seen a church like this before - so different to churches in Central Europe, the UK or Australia! There were not a lot o tourists here, and it felt very calm and spiritual. Nobody spoke loudly, people just walked around quietly and admired the building. After a strenuous day of sightseeing, it was wonderful to just sit in the church, enjoy the coolness and the quiet, and reflect on our trip and this beautiful building.

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Once inside of the basilica, a first glance reveals little of the history - a fairly small central nave with two aisles, the domed apse and a windowless second level. Relatively plain, its the fact the basilica is full of medieval art and relics that is the main attraction.

It's towards the rear of the church and near to the apse that much of the most historic aspects are to be found (although by no means exclusively).

The Ambo (marble carved pulpit) dates from the 12th century but it protects the 4th-century Sarcophagus of Stilichone, a survivor from the original church and one of the great examples of early christian art. It's to the left (as you look from the entrance), near to the golden alter (835 CE) and the 10th century canopy (or ciborium), fronting the apse mosaics - believed to range form the 9th to 12th centuries.

And whilst the rest of the basilica is heavy with art from the 10th-16th centuries, it's the crypt that provides one of the most voyeuristic sights - that of the on-display skeleton of Sant'Ambrogio himself, dressed in all his bishopric finery.

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Just a few minutes walk from San Lorenzo Maggiore alle Colonne, Sant'Ambrogio also dates, like its near neighbour, from the 4th century. Consecrated in 386 CE, foundations indicate that the original church was huge for its time, but was rebuilt in the late 11th/early 12th centuries. The Romanesque style is what we more or less see today (although the basilica was badly damaged in WWII and renovations followed the 11th century plans).

The entrance, through a small door, does not prepare you for the open expanse of the atrium - almost as big as the church. Simple in design, the large courtyard is flanked on three sides by an arcaded gallery and 6th century capitals. Archaeological fragments, relics, tombs, frescoes, many set in the walls, from the history of the church are to be found in the gallery.

Overlooking them all are the two distinctive towers, the smaller (to the left as you enter) dates from the 10th century and is known as the Monks' Tower. The Canons' Tower is taller and dates form the 12th century.