Christmas at the Ambrosiana
The weeks of Advent or, for those who are staying in the city, the holidays, are the perfect time to spend a few hours in the Art Gallery. Leave behind for a moment the rush to buy gifts and the hectic atmosphere that all too often dominates this time of year to be enchanted by the authentic beauty of the Christmas paintings preserved here, to rediscover the deeper meaning of this festive season.
Start in Room 1 with the Nativity by Martino Piazza, where Leonardesque impressions are fused with influences from Northern Europe, and then focus on one of the gallery’s masterpieces: Titian’s Adoration of the Magi. Immerse yourself in this lively scene by joining the caravan of the Kings that, winds through the background guided by the star to arrive in the Saviour’s presence.
Adorazione dei Magi, Tiziano Vecellio, 1559-1560, olio su tela, 120x223 cm
Adorazione dei Magi, Tiziano Vecellio, 1559-1560, olio su tela, 120x223 cm (dettaglio)
Adorazione dei Magi, Tiziano Vecellio, 1559-1560, olio su tela, 120x223 cm (dettaglio)
Nativity by Martino Piazza
Nativity by Martino Piazza (detail)
Nativity by Martino Piazza (detail)
The tour continues in Room 2, where a Nativity from the workshop of Ghirlandaio plunges us into the late Quattrocento atmosphere in Florence.
In Room 6, you will be carried away by the magic of the painting that Cardinal Borromeo loved most of all: the Nativity by Federico Barocci. A marvellous light emanates from the Christ Child and fills the whole scene, illuminating the robe of the Madonna with a shimmering glow and being reflected in the eyes of the ox and the donkey.
Natività, 1598, replica di Federico Barocci o Baroccio, detto il Fiori, olio su tela, 134x106 cm
Natività, 1598, replica di Federico Barocci o Baroccio, detto il Fiori, olio su tela, 134x106 cm (dettaglio)
Natività, 1598, replica di Federico Barocci o Baroccio, detto il Fiori, olio su tela, 134x106 cm (dettaglio)
Next to Room 6, in the gallery with a Dante-themed stained glass window, you will find another scene of the Adoration of the Magi interpreted by a Flemish artist known only as the Master of the Holy Blood, active in the first quarter of the 16th century.
Trittico con l'Adorazione dei Magi, Maestro del Santo Sangue (XVI secolo), , olio su tavola, pannello centrale 98x71, laterali 97x31 cm
Trittico con l'Adorazione dei Magi, Maestro del Santo Sangue (XVI secolo), , olio su tavola, pannello centrale 98x71, laterali 97x31 cm (dettaglio)
Trittico con l'Adorazione dei Magi, Maestro del Santo Sangue (XVI secolo), , olio su tavola, pannello centrale 98x71, laterali 97x31 cm (dettaglio)
Trittico con l'Adorazione dei Magi, Maestro del Santo Sangue (XVI secolo), , olio su tavola, pannello centrale 98x71, laterali 97x31 cm (dettaglio)
To conclude, we suggest you to continue with a stroll through the Galbiati Wing, to reach the second floor and Room 15. Here you can admire another little jewel with a Christmas subject: the Adoration of the Magi by Morazzone.
Adorazione dei MagiPier Francesco Mazzucchelli detto il Morazzone (1571-1626), 1617-1620, olio su tela, 42x49 cm
Adorazione dei MagiPier Francesco Mazzucchelli detto il Morazzone (1571-1626), 1617-1620, olio su tela, 42x49 cm (dettaglio)
Adorazione dei MagiPier Francesco Mazzucchelli detto il Morazzone (1571-1626), 1617-1620, olio su tela, 42x49 cm (dettaglio)
Adorazione dei MagiPier Francesco Mazzucchelli detto il Morazzone (1571-1626), 1617-1620, olio su tela, 42x49 cm (dettaglio)
Adorazione dei MagiPier Francesco Mazzucchelli detto il Morazzone (1571-1626), 1617-1620, olio su tela, 42x49 cm (dettaglio)
The most magical and ancient places of Milan: the ancient Forum where Constantine, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine and Theodosius walked, and the lower Church of Santo Sepolcro, built by the Crusaders… as well as a colossal statue of St. Charles Borromeo on Lake Maggiore; a Museum-Home at the Sacro Monte of Varese; a Foundation dedicated to the promotion of young artists: this is also the Ambrosiana!
Discover the other institutions of the Ambrosiana
Between 1990 and 1992, archaeological excavations conducted underneath the ancient cellars of the Ambrosiana brought to light a portion of the pavement of the ancient Roman forum, the heart of Mediolanum's political, economic and religious life.
The Marco Mantovani Foundation seeks to preserve and enhance the works of the sculptor Marco Mantovani, as evidence of the life of an artist dedicated to sculpture and art.
Lodovico Pogliaghi was one of the most significant Lombard artists to live in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The church of San Sepolcro was founded in 1030, when a Milanese moneyer named Rozzone built a church on the ancient Roman forum. Archbishop Ariberto d’Intimiano solemnly consecrated it to the Holy Trinity.
The Colossus of Saint Charles in Arona, which popular tradition has affectionately dubbed San Carlone, was created in the seventeenth century at the behest of Federico Borromeo, archbishop of Milan and founder of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana.
