Publisher's Synopsis
English summary: This book is dedicated to the wide network of cultural transfers established by Bishop Ambrose of Milan (and his successors) between the city of Milan and the Christian West. Originating from the donations of relics, generated from the holy remains preserved in Milan, these cultural transfers consist essentially of the diffusion of architectural and figurative models. At the basis of the present study are three monuments where the presence of Milanese relics is documented or highly probable: the Concilium Sanctorum of Aosta, the Baptistery of Albenga, and the Catacomb of St. Severus in Naples. Each of these monuments seems to reformulate and reinterpret famous Milanese models. The relics thus clearly serve as "vectors of passage" for images and ideas. Moreover, this phenomenon opens perspectives towards a more global reflection on the construction of identity through the cult of the saints and its artistic manifestations between the 4th and 5th centuries. However, this book also allows us to reflect on the cultural, ecclesiastical and political role played by the city of Milan, often overshadowed by Rome in scientific literature, during this crucial period of transition between late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. French description: Cet ouvrage est dedie a un large reseau de transferts culturels tisse par l'eveque Ambroise de Milan (et ses successeurs) entre la ville de Milan et l'Occident chretien. Engendre par des donations de reliques, multipliees a partir des restes saints preserves a Milan, ces transferts culturels consistent essentiellement en la diffusion de modeles architecturaux et figuratifs. La base pour la presente etude est constituee par trois monuments ou la presence des reliques milanaises est documentee ou fortement probable: le Concilium Sanctorum d'Aoste, le baptistere d'Albenga et la catacombe de Saint-Severe a Naples. Chacun de ces monuments semble reformuler et reinterpreter de celebres modeles milanais. Les reliques servent ainsi, de toute evidence, de " vecteurs de passage " a des images et idees. De plus, ce phenomene ouvre des perspectives vers une reflexion d'ordre plus global sur la construction identitaire a travers le culte des saints et ses manifestations artistiques entre le IVe et le Ve siecle. Ce livre permet cependant de reflechir egalement au role culturel, ecclesiastique et politique joue par la ville de Milan, souvent eclipsee par Rome dans la litterature scientifique, pendant cette periode cruciale de transition entre l'Antiquite tardive et le haut Moyen Age.
