The figure of Saint Mary Magdalene was very dear to the Cardinal as an image of sincere penitence and true love of Christ. According to the classic tradition, a good rendering of Mary Magdalene was to contain three elements: the aesthetic, in the form of female beauty, the penitential, generally with a stark landscape, and the ecstatic. This painting, which is derived from the Mary Magdalene of the Palatine Gallery in Florence, is praised in the Musaeum for “the artist’s skill in maintaining proper modesty in such nudity”, and indeed the viewer’s eye is immediately attracted by the saint’s face enraptured in ecstasy. Recent cleaning of the canvas has more clearly revealed, to the left of Mary Magdalene, the jar of ointment, her iconographic emblem. More importantly, it has also uncovered the artist’s signature (Titianus fecit – “Titian made [it]”).
Every Saturday at 15.30 a guided tour of the masterpieces of the Pinacoteca, together with professional guides of our official partner AdArtem
Opening hours of the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana and of the San Sepolcro Crypt for the upcoming holidays
From April 6 to May 9 2023 the Crypt of San Sepolcro hosts the exhibition “Oliviero Rainaldi. 2023 AD”, an exhibition that traces the life of Christ in five episodes, birth, infancy, martyrdom, death and resurrection.
The Archbishop of Milan, His Excellency Mons. Mario Delpini, has appointed Msgr. Marco Maria Navoni Prefect of the College of Fellows of the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana with effect from 27 February 2023.
Rooms 2 and 3, the exhibition is the first in a series dedicated to showing us what is not normally displayed, for a wider enhancement of the Institution's heritage.
Crypt of San Sepolcro open until April 2 2023, every Saturday and Sunday from 11.00 to 17.30 | last access 17.00
