 A view of the soaring spires of Milan Cathedral Photo credit to Milan Tourist Office La Nivola e il Santo ChiodoWhen: Sep 2008 (annual) Where: Duomo Rating:  Phone: +39 02 720 226 56 Inside the world's largest Gothic cathedral hangs a cross suspended from the chancel roof. Inside this cross is Milan's holiest relic, a nail purportedly from the cross on which Christ died. Except that it doesn't look much like a nail anymore, it looks like the bit of a horsebridle - the Roman Emperor Constantine decided to melt it into riding apparel for his beloved horse. Once a year the archbishop of Milan floats up to it on a little mechanical cloud. Intrigued? Read on...
Once a year the archbishop of Milan symbolically ascends towards the Heavens (represented by the ceiling of the Duomo di Milano), in a basket painted with clouds, to bring down the nail from the Cross of Jesus, the Santo Chiodo, to the faithful who gather below. An engine set up especially for the occasion puffs away out of sight, on top the cathedral while the Holy Man himself floats down on his symbolic cloud and reveals his treasure, the Holy Nail, to the incredulous crowd below.
The history of the Holy Nail is a bit unclear, and several theories circulate as to its arrival in Milan: it may have come with Saint Ambrosius, who is said to have received it in person from Emperor Theodosius around the 4th century AD. Another hypothesis is that it came with the Crusaders, around the 12th or 13th century AD. Either way, there are few written documents about the feast itself, but estimates about the origins of the celebration place it around the 17th century.
Either way, if you find yourself in Milan in September, this surreal event is really a must-see. Go, if only to see the Archbishop of Milan sitting in a rickety little basket climbing towards a very, very high ceiling to recover a horsebridle-bit.
Tourist OfficeMilan Tourist Information Office
Piazza Duomo 19/a (basement)
Phone: +39 02 7740 4343 (in UK +44 (0) 20 7408 1254)
Fax: +39 02 725 24 350
E-mail: , iat.info@provincia.milano.it
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