Santa Giulia was born from a.
Desiderio: it was in fact erected by the Lombard king named after him.
And here Alessandro Manzoni set one of his most famous works, Adelchi.
“Spread the soft braids
On the labored chest,
slow the palms, and rorid
Of death the white aspect,
Lies the pious, with the tremolo
gaze searching the heavens.”
Now a prestigious museum, Santa Giulia houses two rare gems: the Winged Victory and the Cross of King Desiderius.
The former is a large and elegant bronze sculpture representing Goddess Victory.
Think Napoleon was so fascinated by the beauty of the statue that he wanted a copy, which can now be seen in the Louvre.
Instead, under a starry sky shines the Cross of Desiderius, adorned with 212 among precious stones, glass gems and cameos.