Description

 
       

Here we can admire the walls with the two really high chapel. They both have near pilaster with  elaborate arches. In the center of the wall there are two balconies, and in one of them is contained the organ. Balconies and balustrades of the lateral altars, help the walls to be more sinuous, also thanks to the following extension of  the space in the chapel and of the restraint at the center of the room. Now let's have look at the twelve wall-painted medallion with angels and rendere to the Virgin, painted by Formentini in 1712. The first that we can see are almost all with floral theme. In the chapel on the right there's the Baptism of Jesus of Giovan Battista Sassi, while in the chapel on the left there's the miracle of S.Marco. He was a  Benedictine Monk of the VI century, and in this painting the Saint raise from the death a bricklayer fallen from a stage. Going ahead we will admire it better.

The Organ and the wood carves of Bossi

The organ was fabricated in 1716 from the factory of organs Reina of Como, but the inlay are attributed to Carlo Bossi. To be noticed in the German eagle that remind us an imperial style of the Austria's era of domination. The organ and the choir are together a rare beauty.

Just a little forward

On your left we can see the Holy Family, painted in 1716 by Giovan Battista Sassi, famous artist of the time. Notice the grace of cloth and visage of the Madonna.

Just a little forward we see the 2 pictures of Saints Ambrogio and Teodosio

In the chapel on the left we can see the painting of Pietro da Pietra “Sant'Ambrogio pacify himself with Teodosio”, dated 1711-1713. just a bit ahead we can admire the painting of Formentini dated 1712 in which Sant'Ambrogio refuse Teodosio, blamed for the death of a lot of Thessalonians.

Go up to the memorial

Through a balustrade we can move from the room of the church into the broad memorial. The balustrade that connect this two spaces has a waving movement that is really in keeping with the lateral altars. The memorial is really huge and it's towered above by a low dome. It's an ample space 'cause the Monks were a lot, and sometimes they had also to mime the Holy Writ; so they needed this big room.

Get closer to the tabernacle

In the middle of the altar there's the tabernacle. This position, that wants to remind us the centrality of the body of Christ in the Eucharist, was chosen after the Trent's council (half of the XVI century). On the left lateral wall of the presbytery there's a painting of the Formentini called The battle of Parabiago, dated 1712. The Saint patron appears on a horse with a scourge in the hand. The legend says that at this point of the battle the Milan people were almost  defeated and Luchino Visconti was tied to a tree.

Move behind the altar

Behind the altar we can find a sculpture of Saint Ambrogio with the scourge and the Bible, symbol of the spiritual power becoming from the first church. The iconography of the Saint is probably dated two years before the battle. It's the symbol of the battle against every faith enemy. S. Carlo in 500 forbade the use of this iconography cause he thought that was inconvenient for a Saint like Ambrogio. In the altar there's also another object from the first church;  a scroll dedicated to the Gothic characters that remind us the Parabiago's Battle. Above we can see the Assumption of Mary with Sant'Ambrogio and San Bernardo, maybe of Fabbrica, painter of the Lombardy of the first 1700. The linear choir (20 seats) isn't the original, cause this one was moved to France.

Move in the Sacristy and therefore in the little Cloister

The processions or also the friars in their services didn't go out the convent, but they had a way that brought them directly to the choir. The way that brought them from the second floor to the Cloister was walled up after the construction of psychical hospital. Go back along the tree-lined alley.

Deepening