San Vincenzo in Prato

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The basilica of San Vincenzo in Prato is a church in Milan, northern Italy. It is the only one in city which has entirely maintained its original Palaeo-Christian appearance.

[edit] History

The first church was founded by the Lombard king Desiderius in 770, who dedicated it to the Virgin Mary. Later it was entitled to St. Vincent, when the latter's relics were found in an urn in the crypt, together with those of St. Quirinus and St. Nicomedes (859) and St. Abundius. The name in Prato derives from its location in the "Prata" area owned by bishop Odelpertus.

In 806 a Benedictine convent was added to the church; in the late years of the same century and in the early 10th century the church, in dismaying conditions, was rebuilt, but with similar appearance. The octagonal baptistery on the exterior, on the left, dates to the 9th century, and includes a column-shaped font which probably earlier.

The convent was suppressed in 1520 and in 1598 the church was restored and turned into a parish.

[edit] Architecture

The basilica measures c. 40 x 20 m, and is in brickwork. The interior is on a nave and two aisles with wooden spans ceiling. The columns are from different ages. The elevated choir ends with a large apse. Under the presbytery is the crypt, which has also a nave and two aisles divided by ten small columns with sculpted capitals.

San Vincenzo lies on the founding of a Roman temple or oratory, which was located within a Roman necropolis (of which some remains are visible in the external left walls of the church).