The Paliotto of Sant' Ambrogio at Milan
Staff-Sgt. George Bishop Tatum
In 1916 Arthur Kingsley Porter wrote of the Paliotto Milan: “Probably no monument in Europe offers greater archaeological difficulties or has given rise to more controversy than this golden altar.”2 The which spoke had its inception twenty-five years before with publication Kondakov's Histoire et monuments des émaux byzantins.3 While implying possibility that some at least enamels might be Carolingian date, Kondakov rejected for altar as a whole date early ninth century, and suggested instead an origin twelfth. doubts briefly expressed regarding were soon restated length precision by other writers. Of those who followed lead rejecting traditional ninth-century M. G. Zimmermann was probably scholar whose opinion exerted widest influence. Zimmermann's emphatic statement could not have been executed century is best understood when taken part his general work on North Italian sculpture.4 approaching problem Paliotto, postulated character must agree so-called “Lombard style” he believed sole prevailing style Italy during century.
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