The Cathedral of Monza: what to see

The ancient origins of Monza Cathedral

The origins of the Minor Basilica of St. John the Baptist, better known as the Cathedral of Monza, are very ancient: they date back to the Lombard period, and more precisely to the reign of the strong-willed Queen Teodolinda, who ordered the construction of what was originally the palatine chapel attached to her summer residence, the Royal Palace of Monza. Therefore, the remains of the Lombard queen still dwell in the basilica, in the sarcophagus kept inside the 14th-century Chapel of Theodolinda, magnificently frescoed in the 15th century by the late Gothic workshop of the Zavattari. The appearance with which the cathedral of Monza presents itself to us today is the result of more than a thousand years of works and extensions, up to the 19th century. The most important phase certainly dates back to the end of the 14th century, when the Visconti family, lords of Milan, nurtured the ambition of transforming the Monza church into a great basilica destined to host imperial coronations. Indeed, it is precisely here that the famous Iron Crown made from one of the nails of Jesus’ crucifixion is kept, an object with which the great European emperors from Charlemagne to Napoleon have been crowned.

The museum and the treasure of the cathedral

But it doesn’t end there, because Monza Cathedral holds a Treasure of inestimable value, preserved in the spaces of the modern Cathedral Museum. The treasure contains works of art and relics related to the basilica’s millennial history, starting with the offerings of the church’s founding Lombard sovereigns, Teodolinda and Agilulfo, dating back to the seventh century, and the invaluable gifts made by Emperor Berengario in the 10th century. Fascinating plunge into the early medieval atmosphere of the Lombard court and the Carolingian era, the visit led by our guides will then continue in the rooms of the museum that house the works belonging to the extraordinary heritage of the cathedral, divided into four thematic sections capable of tracing the history of the city: we move from the Visconti, with the famous Chalice of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, to the Sforza, to whose era the very rare tapestries you can admire in the museum date back; from the section dedicated to the Spanish and Austrians, with stupendous Baroque paintings and furnishings, to themodern era, in whose collection the statuette of the Crucifixion by the great master Lucio Fontana certainly stands out. A journey among masterpieces and different eras, worth experiencing accompanied by our art historical guides!