Description of the attraction
The Cathedral of Monza, named after San Giovanni Battista in honor of John the Baptist, is the main religious building of the Lombard town. Unlike other cathedrals, this one is essentially not a cathedral, since Monza has always been part of the Milan bishopric. However, the cathedral is headed by an archbishop, who acts as a bishop.
The first building on the site of the modern cathedral was built at the beginning of the 7th century, when the heir to the Lombard throne, Adaloald, was baptized here. And before that, at the end of the 6th century, the Lombard queen Theodelinda ordered the construction of a royal chapel here. According to legend, Theodelinda vowed to build a church in honor of John the Baptist, and as she drove along the banks of the Lambro River, she saw a dove who told her "Modo", which in Latin meant "now." The queen replied "Ethiam" ("yes") - this is how the decision was made to build the cathedral. Interestingly, the city of Monza itself was originally called Modoetia. Unfortunately, only the walls remain of that original church, built in the shape of a Greek cross. Theodelinda herself was buried in the place where the left side chapel of the cathedral is today.
In the 13th century, a basilica was built on the site of an old church, which was rebuilt in the 14th century in the form of a Latin cross. At the end of the same century, side chapels were added to it and the construction of a western façade of white and green marble in the Pisano-Gothic style, designed by Matteo da Campione, was begun. In the 16th century, the choir and vaults of the temple were restored, and the walls were decorated with frescoes and stucco. In 1606, a bell tower was erected. And in the 18th century, a cemetery was built to the left of the church.
The massive west façade is divided into five parts, each surmounted by an ark with a statue. The façade is decorated with several vaulted windows and a huge rosette window in the center, framed by masks and stars. The main façade is Romanesque but decorated in a Gothic style. The latter includes a porch with gargoyles from the 14th century and a 13th century lunette with busts of Theodelinda and Ajilulf. Above the porch is a statue of John the Baptist, and above the portal is an image of the Baptism of Christ. There is also a portrait of Theodelinda presenting the Iron Crown of Lombardy to John the Baptist.
In the right transept of the cathedral is the entrance to the Serpero Museum, which houses a real treasure - the very Iron Crown of Lombardy. There is also a collection of antiquities and artifacts from the early Middle Ages, such as a small metal vessel from the 6th century, one of the very first images of the Crucifixion, etc. And the library contains a number of old illustrated manuscripts.
