Milan is always a city to discover, one of the many faces of the Lombard metropolis is linked to its Imperial past in Roman times when the ancient Mediolanum, Latin name used in that era corresponding to today's name was capital of an Empire from 286 to 402, a period that has left indelible traces on the Milanese soil and that will be very interesting to retrace in a historic – cultural visit.
I suggest to start from Piazza Cadorna, important and bustling square close to Largo Cairoli and walking along Corso Magenta, important urban artery that is located halfway between the Sforza Castle and the Basilica of Sant' Ambrogio visiting the Civic Archaeological Museum which will immediately give a clear idea of the Roman past admiring in its interior a rich in archaeological collection consisting in finds with sculptures, heads, amphorae, bisti, vases, stelae and much more.
You can also see a section of imposing walls that correspond to the Maximian walls that protected the city with its foundations widely visible in the basement of the Museum in a place not far from one of the green lungs of Milan, Parco Sempione and a few steps from Porta Vercellina one of the gates established to enter in the core of the city.
Another visible element is the Tower of Ansperto built on a quadrangular plan, surviving two bastions that now serves as the bell tower of the Church of San Maurizio, one of the religious buildings of early Christian origin rebuilt in its entirety in the 500s that houses the Benedictine monastic order.
This building is in the place where a bastion and a watchtower were established closed on one side the Circus located at Via Circo, 9 practically in front of the Universita del Sacro Cuore of which you will see the remains continuing through a series of sections with paths and courtyards, conveying how large this imperial space was.
In a walk through the historic center of Milan we will reach the majestic Church of San Lorenzo erected between the 4th and 5th century century known for being the largest existing early Christian Basilica and the religious structure with the largest central plan in the entire Western world.
This historic building, which preserves its ancient profile with the sacellum containing evidence of its Roman and early Christian origins although present in numerous historical documents is still studied to verify whether at the time of its construction.
It was the ancient and legendary Basilica Portiana which, if affirmative, would dissolve doubts and mysteries if it would be placed earlier in terms of construction than the four existing Ambrosian basilicas.
Assumptions and studies have determined that this religious building was the supreme chapel of the Imperial Palace built by Emperor Theodosius.
The Church of San Lorenzo was the object of study by Leonardo da Vinci who often visited it during his many years of stay in Milan as well as two other illustrious architects such as Giuliano da Sangallo and Donato Bramante, constantly eager to discover the structural secrets of the entire complex that aroused their interest and constant in-depth study including linked to the Roman era.
A further stop inside the Basilica will be the basement of the Chapel of Sant' Aquilino which preserves a copy of Leonardo's Last Supper where once on site you can observe the very large foundations developed with huge monoliths taken from the remains of villas, residences and Roman monuments dating back to the 2th century built on Milanese soil.
The marble columns of San Lorenzo that stand in Corso di Porta Ticinese were placed in this place in the Middle Ages, reused columns from abandoned imperial residences dating back to the 2nd and 3th centuries and despite being only architectural elements they are among the oldest Roman remains visible in municipal terms.
From there continuation towards Via De Amicis, easily reachable along Via Mora, where at the confluence with Via Arena where you will be in front of the Archaeological Park of the Amphitheater which, although it does not show much, apart from the foundations was the place where the Milanese Colosseum stood built in the first century.
Visiting and discovering Milan is always a pleasure, also rediscovering its origins as an ancient Mediolanum, part of an Empire that influenced centuries of our history.
Link : https://www.yesmilano.it/en
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Thanks a lot to read and note.