Remarks
It is named in honor of Saint Ambrose (337-397 AD), an astounding man, elected to be Bishop of Milan by popular demand before even being baptized, and who converted and baptized Saint Augustine. He is so deeply venerated here that the Milanese church has remained faithful to the liturgy and calendar created by him.
Built by Cardinal Frederick Borromeo, this palace from 1609 now houses the art gallery after having been one of Italy's first public libraries. This library, one of the richest in the world, has a remarkable collection of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, among others.
The art gallery contains the Cardinal's collection, which has been enriched by later acquisitions. Among the works not to be missed are: a Jesus as a child with a lamb by Bernardino Luini, a very warm and delicate painting, a Sacred Word by the Lombard artist Bergognonne, still Medieval in its way of presenting perspective, a Musician by Leonardo da Vinci, a curious painting by Bramantino in which the Virgin, looking very masculine, even bearded; a sketch by Raphael and finally, a superb Caravaggio: The Fruit Basket, a fascinating still life... full of life!
The Cardinal's incredibly rich collection is yet complemented by Dutch and Flemish paintings, among which there is a strange Young mouse with roses by Bruegel of Velours.