Milan - Basilica di Sant'Eustorgio

Milan is the city capital of the Lombardy and the second most populous city in Italy after Rome. Known during Roman times as "Mediolanum" it was the place, where in 313 Constantine I and Licinius met and "signed" the "Edict of Milan", giving Christianity a legal status within the Roman empire.

At the end of the Roman empire Milan was besieged by the Visigoths in 402, looted by the Huns in 452, and taken by the Ostrogoths in 539. Only 30 years later is belonged to the Kingdom of the Lombards, until in 774 Charlemagne defeated the Langobards and added Milan to the Carolingian empire. During Barbarossa´s (Frederik I) "Italian Campaigns" Milan was taken and destroyed to a great extent.

Only a few large structures survived the fury. One of them was the Basilica di San Lorenzo (see previous uploads). The Basilica di Sant'Eustorgio, located only about 500 ms south of the Basilica di San Lorenzo, existed already since centuries at that time, as it was founded in the 4th century. The name refers to Eustorgius I, the bishop of Milan (~350).

It is attributed to Eustorgius to have translated the relics of the Magi to the city from Constantinople in 344, a present of Roman Emperor Constantius II (337-361). This legend came up in the 12th century, when the "new" Basilica di Sant'Eustorgio was erected in Romanesque style.

When Milano was sacked by Frederick Barbarossa, Rainald von Dassel, who had just become Archbishop of Cologne and Archchancellor of Italy, entered the Basilica. In 1164 he brought the bones of the Magi with him to Cologne as loot from Milan and as a gift of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Since then the relics are in the Cologne Cathedral, where they are kept in the "Shrine of the Three Kings".

The Portinari Chapel is located behind the apse at the eastern end of the Basilica. It was commisioned by Pigello Portinari, who was the representative in Milan of the Medici bank. The chapel was completed in 1468. In the center the elaborate marble sepulchre of Saint Peter of Verona (aka "Peter of Mailand"), commissioned in 1336 from Giovanni di Balduccio, who signed his work.

"Divine light" flows from the multi coloured dome over the sepulchre.


Saint Peter of Verona (= "Peter of Mailand") was a Dominican friar and a celebrated preacher, who served as Inquisitor in Lombardy. He was was killed in 1252 by an assassin, and ("sancto subito") was canonized 11 months after his death. This was the fastest canonization in history. Carino of Balsamo, Saint Peter´s murderer, later repented his sin and became a Dominican lay brother. He is a "beatus" is known as "Carino Pietro da Balsamo".

Peter of Verona was a very popular saint. The "St. Peter von Mailand-Bruderschaft" in Cologne was founded as the brewers´ guild in 1386 - and it still exists.