Browsing among palaces and skyscrapers, one of the most fascinating faces of Milan’s capital city is surely the one that tells us-often unexpectedly-of medieval Milan. Is anyone still convinced to associate the Middle Ages with the idea of the “dark ages”? For Milan, the medieval age was actually a golden season!
The urban center of Milan was of increasing importance from late antiquity onward (when Mediolanum was the capital of the Empire, from the end of the 3rd to the beginning of the 5th century AD) until the communal era: it was then that the city-which became a municipality and was divided into six sestieri-remarked its autonomistic will, clashing repeatedly with the Germanic imperial power. The exhaustion of the communal experience and the establishment of the seigniorial regimes of first the Visconti and then the Sforza allowed Milan to maintain a leading role in European politics in the 14th and 15th centuries.
The approximately 1,000 years of medieval Milan were fundamental to the city’s economic, cultural and social development, as well as its artistic and architectural flourishing. Moreover, it was economic development that made the Lombard capital one of the richest duchies in Europe, setting the stage for the rise of the Sforza in the mid-15th century and for the advent of the Renaissance, which fully blossomed in the city with Leonardo da Vinci and Bramante.
Milan is teeming with medieval treasures , and it is not difficult to breathe in the history of those distant centuries as you pass through the streets of the center, between one door and another. A journey through time that passes through many symbolic places of Milan: from Piazza dei Mercanti to early Christian basilicas (such as the church dedicated to Milan’s patron saint, Saint Ambrose); from the treasures of the Milan Cathedral to the mysterious Crypt of San Sepolcro!
Medieval Milan and its icons: from Sant’Ambrogio to Castello Sforzesco
An indisputable symbol of medieval Milan is the basilica of Saint Ambrose, named after the founding bishop and patron saint of the city. Built in the early Christian period like other ancient Milanese churches, it is traditionally considered the second most important church in the city, after the Milan Cathedral commissioned by the Visconti family. Beyond the four-sided portico of Sant’Ambrogio, a perfect example of Lombard Romanesque architecture, lie stories and legends that bring back memories of symbols and iconography from the medieval age. A few examples? In Piazza Sant’Ambrogio, on the left side with respect to the basilica, there is a column, called “Devil’s column” or “imperial column”: it is a Roman-era column with two holes, the subject of a legend that the column witnessed a struggle between St. Ambrose and the devil himself. The evil one, trying to pierce the saint with his horns, ended up sticking them into the column instead. After trying to wriggle out for a long time, the devil managed to free himself and, frightened, fled. Popular tradition has it that the holes smell of sulfur and that leaning your ear against the stone you can hear the sounds of hell…. eerie, isn’t it? Actually, legend aside, it seems that this column was used for the coronation of Germanic emperors, according to the medieval chronicler Galvanus Flame.
Not far from the Ambrosian basilica, another building that in the collective imagination harks back to medieval Milan is the Castello Sforzesco. The original medieval fortress, built in the 14th century by the Visconti family, was called “di Porta Giovia” because it was articulated along the medieval walls of Milan at the gate of the same name. Having gone from performing a defensive function to being a Visconti residence, the castle was almost completely destroyed in the mid-15th century, only to be once again elected as the seat of the Milanese court by Duke Francesco Sforza and his descendants, by then at the time of the Milanese Renaissance and the stay of Leonardo Da Vinci in the city. A truly turbulent history, destined to continue well beyond the borders of the Middle Ages! From the dark days of Spanish rule to Napoleon Bonaparte, to the more recent late 19th-century restoration, when architect Luca Beltrami was given the task of restoring the Castello Sforzesco to return it to the city in all its former glory.
The Middle Ages in Milan, a treasure trove of symbols and traditions
In an itinerary dedicated to the traditions of Milan, the Piazza dei Mercanti is also a must-see: in the Middle Ages it was the commercial and administrative center of Milan, but nowadays it is simply a charming medieval corner where you can catch a glimpse of the most representative symbols of Milan’s past, such as the famous half-mouthed sow! Piazza Mercanti retains the medieval atmosphere of the past thanks to the buildings that surround it: Palazzo della Ragione, Loggia degli Osi, Palazzo delle Scuole Palatine, Casa dei Panigarola and Palazzo dei Giureconsulti. All around, the current street names remind us that here, in medieval Milan, were the workshops of artisans and the guilds of ancient trades: hence the origin of Via Armaioli, Via Spadari, Via Orefici, Via dei Piatti, Via Pecorari… and many more!
Still on the hunt for symbols and legends, it is worthwhile to go from the center to the Porta Ticinese area to reach the Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio, which overlooks the square of the same name, at the edge of the Park of the Basilicas. The basilica of early Christian origin encompasses a perfect blend of history and art: dedicated according to tradition to Eustorgio Bishop of Milan, it has seen building and decorative interventions from different eras, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, piled up. The basilica is said to have been founded in the fourth century AD after the chariot carrying the remains of the Magi from Constantinople to the Basilica of Santa Tecla (at the site of today’s Milan Cathedral) mysteriously stopped in front of where Sant’Eustorgio stands today.
The Crypt of San Sepolcro, a treasure of medieval Milan
If you love the evocative atmosphere that only the Middle Ages can evoke, a guided tour of the Crypt of San Sepolcro! Descending into the darkness of the underground church in the evening, enveloped by the soft lights of lanterns, is among the most authentic experiences of medieval Milan. The name of the sacred building reminds us of the history of the Crusades…. Founded back in 1030 with the name Holy Trinity, the Upper Church was in fact soon dedicated to the Holy Sepulchre, following the reconquest of Jerusalem in 1110. Therefore, the Crypt housed the copy of the Sarcophagus of Christ that is still present today, the work of one of the many Campionese masters active in the early 14th century and which-according to legend-was supposed to hold the relics of the Crusaders and the land of Jerusalem.
Erected in the “true center of Milan,” that is, on the site, at the intersection of Cardo and Decumanus, where the Romans managed trade in ancient Mediolanum, the Crypt has remained surprisingly almost intact for so many centuries-more than a millennium of history! We have proof of this also thanks to the studies that Leonardo da Vinci himself conducted on the plan of the building during his stay in Milan, by then in the height of the Renaissance season. So it will not be surprising to learn that there are numerous original wall decorations unveiled after thelatest restoration: in particular, the vaults painted with a starry sky, a splendid memory of medieval symbolism and a representation of Paradise!
