Itineraries


Entered through the High Sacresty contains a fine collection of precious objects donated to the church in the course of time; most of them were offered by Duke Francesco II Sforza to the Chapter in 1534 the year when the Diocese was established. The collection is set out in 16th-century rooms, which the architects Sianesi and Ortelli with the collaboration of Mario Bonzanini turned into a museum. In the small hall window there are some precious volumes, among which a silk and gold bound Mass-book miniatured by Agostino and Decio Ferrante, a silver leaf-bound Evangelistary and a wood and leather bound anthem book manuscripted and miniatured on parchment. In the first room, starting from the right, notable are a wonderful ivory Pastoral, a precious stone-studded Baroque Ostensory, "La Pace" a classic gold and silver miniatured Tabernacle made after the Benvenuto Cellini school, which is without doubt the most valuable piece of the collection. Supported by four winged chimeras decorated with a Greek fret, it has in the four corners the Sforzas' coat of arms, in the front the "Deposition" with the Virgin Mary and dead Christ in relief, and on the back the "Crucifixion". Nearby is a Reliquary of St. Ambrogio and a collection of sacred vessels, among which is a remarkable silver golden Chalice decorated with glazed figures with a dedication of Francesco II Sforza inside. Next there is a Reliquary of the Holy Cross (the oldest piece of the collection), a precious specimen of the Gothic gold-work of the first half of the fifteenth century: it contains some wooden fragments of the cross and a thorn. It was given to the Cathedral of Vigevano by the Duke Galeazzo Maria Sforza in 1470. A Baroque Ostensory in silver-plated copper, a silver processional Cross and a window with a great number of interesting precious objects. Against the front wall notice the armour-plated coffer used by Duke Francesco II to deliver the precious objects to the Bishop of Vigevano and to the Cathedral Chapter. In this room you can see also two paintings of the sixteenth century attributed to Bernardino Ferrari, representing Saint Martha and Saint Margherita, which have recently been restored. Other precious paintings attributed to Bernardino Ferrari, representing six images of the Passion, are placed in the old "Sacrestia Minore" waiting for restoration. In the second room, called "the tapestries room", there are some of the tapestries and paraments of the Cathedral. Some of the "clothes" are of Flemish origin, others come from Vigevano Trivulziana tapestry factory. The tapestries are catalogued in two series: the red series, with three pieces dedicated to the parable of the Prodigal Son, and another one dedicated to the story of Joseph, the Jew, and the blue series which describes biblical or courtly scenes. Of the three tapestries which are on the walls, the central one was restored in Turin, while the two others were restored and integrated in Florence. Other ten pieces are set up in the rack. You will see here also the ensigns of the brotherhoods of the two churches of Santa Maria del Popolo and of the Madonna degli Angeli and a "Vestment of the Cathedral" wrongly said "the Duke's Vestment", woven in 1530 in fine gold by Vigevano hands and used in Monza on March 18th, 1805 when Napoleon was crowned king of Italy .

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