Historical Gold and Jewelry in Milanese Art from Vuolvino to the Visconti Dynasty

Milanese and Lombard appreciation for gold, gems, and enamels has deep historical roots dating back to Vuolvino's altar in Sant'Ambrogio during the early Middle Ages. This tradition flourished significantly under the Visconti dynasty, as evidenced by their commission of Tarot cards from the Bembo workshop that shimmered with golden highlights. In the Chapel of Theodelinda at Monza Cathedral, frescoed by the Zavattari, Duke Filippo Maria Visconti spared no expense, providing over three gross pounds of pure gold leaf and paste—equivalent to more than three kilograms of gold. This lavish expenditure, unmatched in any other church of the duchy, was intended to celebrate the dynasty's presumed Lombard origins. The article explores this enduring fascination with precious materials in Lombard artistic production.