Stories of Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Stained-glass window V14 of Milan Duomo is found near the area of the southern transept and was executed between 1549 and 1557 by Corrado de Mochis from Cologne, based on cartoons by Biagio and Giuseppe Arcimboldi. The panels tell the story of the life of Saint Catherine of Alessandria, martyr of the Catholic church. Reading of the panels is from high to low, and from left to right. In the upper section there are episodes from the life of the Saint, amongst which: her childhood, disputes, and martyrdom, together with a vibrant “Annunciation”. Finally, of great interest are the mixtilinear panels in the grotesque – faces of cherubs intertwined with leaves and branches – putti, caryatids, and festoons, typical of the 16th century and those of the rose window; the latter is configured as one of the two original rose windows from the 14th-16th century still existing in Duomo.