Italy is not short of tales of miracles. In fact, it's hard to find a town that doesn't have some site of a miraculous event. However, some tales are more extraordinary than others. Furthermore, they sometimes hide in plain sight in the most understated of places. A good example of this is the Chiesa Sant Ambrogio, or Church of Saint Ambrose, in Florence. Among the gilded Medieval, intensely classicising Renaissance and dramatic Baroque churches of the city, this little building does not particularly stand out. In many ways, it is a very underwhelming church but it doesn't hint at the unbelievable wealth of cultural and artistic treasures inside, including a miraculous chalice and works of art by some of the greatest Renaissance artists. Find a luxury villa in Florence and discover this hidden gem for yourself.
The church is allegedly built where Saint Ambrose is said to have stayed while in Florence in 393. The first records of the building go back to 998 but it is likely older still and it was rebuilt during the 17th century under Giovanni Battista Foggini. The exterior of the church is very simple and pared back with a rendered façade punctuated by an arched doorway with an arched window to each side and a blind arch above. Inside, it remains rather simple but there are numerous frescoes, altarpieces and other artworks that mark the church as special. It is home to works by Adrea Orcagna, Agnolo Gassi, Niccolò Gerini, Lorenzo di Bicci, Masaccio, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Alesso Baldovinetti, Fra Bartolomeo and Leonardo Tassini.
Another important artwork is in the Chapel of the Misericordia, designed by Mino da Fiesole; a fresco from 1476 by Cosimo Roselli which tells the tale of the miraculous chalice that has made the church famous. A legend says that on 30th December 1230 a chalice which had not been cleaned was the next day found to contain blood rather than wine by Uguccione, the parish priest. This Eucharistic miracle then made the church a place of pilgrimage and Florentines came to believe that the chalice even helped save them from the plague in 1340.
If you are fond of miracles, interesting local legends or outstanding works of art, then you absolutely need to make time to pay a visit to this extraordinary little church during your next visit to Florence.
If you are fond of miracles, interesting local legends or outstanding works of art, then you absolutely need to make time to pay a visit to this extraordinary little church during your next visit to Florence.
Photo credits
Picture 1: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 3: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0
Picture 1: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 3: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0
