20,000 copies * City Map * Useful Information April 2018 Hello Milano 16 pages of out-of-the-ordinary information and photos Guided tours connect Bicwith Last Supper tickets www.hellomilano.it Tourist assistence ART DEA online guide More information on I pag 16. www.artidea.co.uk See more at What’s On www.friendinmilan.co.uk translations • graphics • free press for possible schedule changes How to savour Milan: in small sips Milan’s great masterpieces are often hidden away: they Unfortunately, there are only traces left of epigraphs are best discovered strolling around unhurriedly and and sarcophagi belonging to this building, since on the keeping a watchful eye for hidden details. 600th anniversary of the event, in the Romanic period, One of these masterpieces is the millennial bell tower, Archbishop Landolfo demolished the small rundown still in operation, built next to the Romanic church of church, and built a basilica with a 30-metres-high bell San Celso. Its long story starts in 374 AD, when Saint tower and a monastery to accommodate the Benedictine Ambrose (the beloved patron saint of the Milanese) was monks. The tabernacle with the sacred images, always the city’s archbishop. considered miraculous and object of great veneration, By religious choice, he built four basilicas beyond the was left outdoors. Roman walls, in what was then open countryside. Only in 1430, in order to protect the painting, a small Three of them, Sant’Ambrogio, San Nazaro and San church for only 300 people was built and inserted as a Simpliciano, are still actively used today, and are lo- transept into the Basilica of San Celso. cated inside the current city centre. As was common in those times, the image was placed Ambrose chose to place these basilicas where, at the on the major altar and covered with a curtain that could beginning of the 4th century, the bodies of martyrs bar- be removed only on solemn occasions. barously killed during the Christian persecutions had All this changed radically after 30th December 1485, due been buried in holes dug in the ground. This practice to a miracle that occurred while a nasty plague was rag- was meant to avoid triggering religious fanaticism: the ing in the city. laws of the time did not allow to mark with gravestones There are many sworn depositions by the Milanese who the burials of those who refused to worship the pagan testified how, while they were in San Celso for the 11 gods. As a consequence, their bodies had to be buried o’clock Mass, celebrated by the priest Giovanni Pietro in the fields and left unmarked. Porro, during Communion they saw the veil protecting All this came to an end after 313 AD, when the Edict of the image move away, and the Virgin Mary appeared to Milan by Constantine gave Christians freedom of wor- show them the Son of God. ship. From that day the plague began to recede. Since that date, digging beyond the walls, people would The grateful Milanese decided to demolish the small occasionally find human remains, often with sealed transept in 1489 and on San Celso’s left side they built The fresco of the Vergin and Baby Jesus boxes next to them, containing notes on the names of the current great sanctuary dedicated to Santa Maria the victims and the tortures they had suffered. dei Miracoli (Saint Mary of Miracles) in order to keep the The construction, in 1493, was entrusted to some of According to biographers of the time, Saint Ambrose, venerated image inside a prestigious temple. the greatest Renaissance architects, such as Giovanni who allegedly had a diviner’s gift, found some of those Antonio Amadeo, Gian Giacomo Dolcebuono, Cristo- bodies using his bishop’s crosier, had them exhumed foro Solari, Galeazzo Alessi, and perhaps supported by and then properly buried inside worthier basilicas. Florence-born Donato Bramante who was in Milan in Of the several witnesses who related these extraordi- those years. nary events, biographer Paolino came up with a pretty Although completed in 1506, the temple was consid- accurate description. ered too small; two side naves were then added, un- He tells us how on May 10th, 396, Ambrose was medi- der the direction of Cesare Cesariano, who finally com- tating in an orchard along the Via Emilia, when he had pleted the sanctuary in 1528. Soon to become one of one of his extrasensory perceptions: he sensed that the most important city’s monuments from an artistic, two martyrs were buried right there. historical and religious point of view, the temple ended The excavation that followed brought to light one re- up overwhelming the old Romanic church nearby, which markably well-preserved body, with traces of coagu- was left unused. lated blood. On its decapitated head, traces of facial In the nineteenth century, it was even decided to knock hair were still visible. Of the second body, only bones down four of San Celso’s bays to open three windows were left. into the new building. The Romanic facade was then Thanks to the notes found next to the remains, we have demolished and rebuilt in front of the last two bays at some information on their lives and also their names: the bottom of the current small garden. they were Nazaro, a senior preacher, and Celsus, a In the 1900s the entire monastery was razed to the young follower, about 18 years old. ground. According to Christian beliefs, the good preservation of Now, after 1600 years, the Milanese wish to commemo- a body is a sign of sanctity, so the exulting population rate those holy places and reopen the restored Medieval organized a procession to place Nazaro’s body in the remains to the public. nearby basilica Apostolorum (the current San Nazaro in Two guided tours are currently available, on Sunday 8th Corso di Porta Romana). at 17.00 and on Sunday 15th at 16.00. €22. As for young Celso’s bones, Ambrose decided to place The visit includes the sanctuary, where the Virgin’s them in a beautiful white marble sarcophagus deco- fresco is visible at the left of the main altar; the nearby rated on three sides, then he planned to enclose the or- garden, with the church of San Celso and its ancient chard, and at the exhumation site he placed a taberna- tower, with the bell still striking after 1000 years. cle with a fresco of the Virgin and Baby Jesus (which is The more adventurous could climb the 170 steps lead- thought to be the first Madonna ever painted in Milan, ing to the top, admire the city from above, and take and one of the first of the whole Christian world). 360° selfies. Finally, Ambrose decided to build a small church nearby Basilica of Santa Maria dei Miracoli presso San Celso, dedicated to San Celso. The church of San Celso, today Corso Italia 37 • M3 Missori Cinema & ... Illusionist show A calendar of movie events that, thanks to the digital page 2 cinema technology, showcases the world’s most im- portant events, exhibitions, artists, museums on the big screen. What’s on April 2018 Cine-Opera Tuesday 4 April. 20.15. “Macbeth” by Verdi; per- formed live by the Royal Opera House; with Anna Highlights Netrebko, Željko Lucic and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo; conducted by Antonio Pappano. Direct broadcasting via satellite on 1500 screens all over the world. To find Musical full listings in Milan, see www.nexodigital.it From 10 to 15 April. Tues.-Sat. 21.00; Sun. 18.00. Musical “Real Illusion” by the world renowned magician Until 13 May. Cine-Museum Gaetano Triggiano, directed by illusionist Arturo Bra- Wed - Fri 20.45; chetti. €29/52. www.TicketOne.it. Teatro della Luna, Sat. 15.00, 20.45; Via Giuseppe Di Vittorio, Assago(MI) • M2 Assago Mi- Sun 13.00, 19.30. lanofiori Forum (round-trip ticket to Assago Forum) “Mary Poppins” with live music by Richard M. Sher- man and Robert B. Show in Dutch Sherman; libretto courtesy Sanne Peper From 5 to 8 April. by Julian Fellowes Premier national per- translated and formance. “The Year adapted in Ital- of Cancer” written by ian. €39/47. www. Hugo Claus, directed Vivaticket.it; www. by Luk Perceval, pro- TicketOne.it. Teatro Nazionale, Via Giordano Rota 1, duced by Toneelgroep corner Piazza Piemonte • M1 Wagner Amsterdam; starring Maria Kraakman, Gijs Musical theatre show Scholten van Aschat; From 20 to 22 April. music by Jeroen van Fri. 21.00; Sat. and Sun On 9, 10, 11 April. “Van Gogh tra il grano e il cielo.” Veen. In the show 15.30. “Il Volo di Leon- The Helene Kröller-Müller legacy, currently the great- there are full nude ardo” a musical theatre est private collector, the woman who - in the early scenes. See What’s show, half spoken in Ital- twentieth century, during a trip in Milan, Rome and On for further info. ian, for the whole family Florence, following the example of the patronage of Piccolo Teatro particularly suitable for the Medici - came to buy almost 300 of Van Gogh’s Strehler, Largo children. Before the paintings and drawings. In Italian. A list of the Italian Greppi 1 • M2 Lanza, show, Mister David, a cinemas is available on www.nexodigital.it. M1 Cairoli Street Magic world cham- pion, in the role of an ex- Cine-Concert travagant scientist, 12 April. “Distant guides the audience to Sky” by Nick Cave & discover Leonardo, in a The Bad Seeds, Miart 2018 pre-show full of surprises, magic and twists. In the from Copenhagen foyer there are several faithful reproductions of the concert film that Leonardo da Vinci’s flight machines.