Small pillar

This small pillar is part of the fragments that come
from the ancient church of the Benedictine nunnery of Santa Maria d'Aurona and
were found in 1868-1869 during excavations carried out in Via Monte di Pietà,
Milan for the construction of the Cassa di Risparmio's head office. The church,
probably founded by Aurona, daughter of Longobard king Ansprando and sister of
King Liutprando, was destroyed by fire in 1075 and then rebuilt before 1095.
The remains of the Longobard church are considered a magnificent example of
'Liutprando’s renaissance', like this square pillar on which can be discerned
motifs common to Barbarian ornamentation alongside themes of classical and
early Christian origin, such as flowers, leaves and vine shoots.