Stories of Saint Helena and the finding of the Cross

Stained-glass window V34 of Milan Duomo is dedicated to Saint Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine. The panels narrate her involvement in the discovery of some precious Christian relics: the Nails and the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. The work was allegedly begun by Rainaldo da Umbria from Flanders between 1570 and 1571 and was later completed by 1577 by Valerio Profundavalle, with the assistance of Pier Angelo Sesini. According to recent studies, the master glassmaker Profundavalle transposed Pellegrino Tibaldi's preparatory cartoons into glass. The numerous restorations necessary over time, especially in the first half of the 19th century (probably by the Bertini brothers), have made the window rather varied and little unified.