St. Ambrose Church in Milan

While in Milan looking for the Museum of Torture (which it turns out has been closed for years) I happened upon the church of St. Ambrose. It's a very old edifice built in the early Middle Ages, beautiful enough in itself, but that is not the reason to come. The crypt, houses the relics of St. Ambrose himself, the great Church Father, personal friend to Augustine, and patron saint of Milan.



The crypt itself is spectacularly ornate: a glass coffin tented with a golden cupola of angels, and mass amounts of filigree all around. The ornamentation, however elaborate, is within the bounds of good taste. Unlike some of the Baroque sepulchers for self-important and long-forgotten popes that one sees at St. Peter's –whose more is more approach leaves one with an acute sense of esthetic indigestion– this tomb seems quite modest, considering the towering figure it houses.



Inside the coffin rest the entire remains of Ambrose, dressed in full bishop's regalia. He is flanked by two early Christian martyrs (whose names escape me for the moment). Here is a detail of their feet:



More pictures available here