BASILICA OF SANT'EUSTORGIO, The Tomb Of The Three Kings

As I mentioned, the basilica is linked to the worship of the Three Kings, and if you happen to be in Milan at the beginning of January you can see the impressive Epiphany procession, which ends right here at Sant'Eustorgio.

The beginning of the Gospel describes the Three Kings as wise eastern men who were experts in astronomy. These men followed a shooting star to reach Bethlehem to bring gifts to the newborn Jesus. Their mortal remains, originally from the Middle East, were conserved for many centuries in the massive granite sarcophagus located just after the Chapel of the Three Kings, which is the last one on the right side next to the main altar: you can recognize it by the text "SepulcrumTriumMagorum", which means the "Tomb of the Three Kings".

But when Emperor Federico Barbarossa conquered Milan after a long siege, he took the Three Kings' remains and brought them to the Cathedral of Cologne, where he had a sumptuous shrine built to house them. The Milanese asked for the restitution of the stolen goods in vain, and had to settle for a few bone fragments (apparently taken from each of the three skeletons) that are now kept in the chapel's bronze urn....