Lawrence I (bishop of Milan)

Lawrence I
Archbishop of Milan
Church	Catholic Church
Appointed	c. 490 AD
Term ended	c. 511
Predecessor	Theodorus I
Successor	Eustorgius II
Personal details
Died	c. 511
Sainthood
Feast day	July 25
Venerated in	Catholic Church

Lawrence I (Latin: Laurentius, Italian: Lorenzo) was Archbishop of Milan from 490 to c. 511. He is honoured as a saint in the Catholic Church and his feast day is July 25.

Most of the information we have about this bishop are due to the writings of Ennodius, bishop of Pavia (died 521), who was a relative of his and his secretary. Lawrence was elected bishop of Milan in about 490 (or 489) by both the Latins and the Heruli, who invaded Italy led by Odoacer.

In the frame of the war between Odoacer and Theodoric, leader of the Ostrogoths, Lawrence supported the latter, hoping that Theodoric could better preserve the Latin population, militarily overpowered by the invasions of the East Germanic tribes. However Lawrence did not directly intervened in the fight. Later he went to Ravenna to plead Theodoric to forgive the Latins who had sided with Odoacrer.

In a year between 491 and 493, an East Germanic tribe, probably the Rugii, raided Milan and devastated the town: also Lawrence was made prisoner. After this raid, Lawrence led the reconstruction of the town, and he renovated the Basilica of Saint Calimerius, the Basilica Sanctorum (not surely identified), a baptistery (possibly San Giovanni alle Fonti) and the Church of Saint Nazarius and Celsus where he ordered to paint the figures of twelve bishops of Milan. He also built a house, probably as residence for the bishops, and added the chapel of Saint Sixtus to the basilica of St. Lorenzo Maggiore. He further restored the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio where he built the Ciborium which columns are still visible.

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