Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio

Basilica Milan, Italy

Noted for its medieval architecture, the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio in Milan was consecrated by St. Ambrose in 387 AD and rebuilt in the 11th century later it became the example for all Lombard Romanesque churches. The church was built on a grand scale over an existing cemetery, next to the martyrium of St. Victor. Two local martyrs provided the necessary relics for the altar, and Ambrose was buried next to them after his death on 397. The Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio has an unusual exterior appearance, with a vast atrium stretching to the west and two towers of different heights. The atrium (dated by an inscription to 1098) is nearly as large as the church itself and makes an impressive sight after entering the small door at the west end; it now shelters archaeological fragments and tombs under its arcaded gallery, which is decorated with 6th-century capitals.