Sant' Ambrogio

Sant' Ambrogio, Early Church Father

Ambrogio was a Numan Senator - and not a sorcerer - who heard and accepted the teaching of the First Prophet. His innate eloquence and wisdom were renowned. When he was just a postulant to the faith (for in the early days, would-be Vaticines had a period of observation before admission to the faith, lest they be spies for the sorcerous Senators), a great argument broke out over who would replace a bishop in the northwest borderlands of the Empire. The argument threatened to tear the young Vaticine Church in that area entirely apart, and so Ambrogio stepped in to mediate. His fine words, and the deep wisdom behind them, instantly caused the arguing factions to unite - calling for Ambrogio to be made bishop! He tried to demur, but finally accepted for the good of the church. In a single day, he was baptised, ordained, and consecrated as bishop.

Sant' Ambrogio, Pillar of Monfalcone

The local legends of Monfaclone hold that the Church of Sant' Ambrogio, over one thousand years old, is the original church from which the saint administered his bishopric. Of course, over a half dozen other ancient churches in Mondavi lands (and a few in Seiger lands) make similar claims. The original church building, a thick-walled and claustrophobic little thing, is today an unspectacular chapel off to one side of the main cathedral. Over the centuries of the church's existence, wings and walls have been built, rebuilt, repaired and knocked down. The current facade welcoming worshippers to the church is 400 years old, built when imposing, gothic structures conveyed the stern retribution the Third Prophet promised Theus would send the unjust and the wicked.

As old as it is, it should not be surprising that Sant' Ambrogio is the center of many of the oldest and most honored religious traditions in the city. The plays and processions put on by the trade guilds for Prophets' Mass, for instance, are a source of deep pride for many of the city's wealthiest citizens. To participate in Sant' Ambrogio's celebrations shows that you and your guild are among the most prestigious in the city. Getting - and keeping - spots in these celebrations is a matter for much scheming and backstabbing among the guilds.

Dominion over Sant' Ambrogio has passed from noble family to noble family over the years; the Barozzi, the Donati and the Masacci families have all taken their turns at the altar. Since the construction of Santa Sophia, the Masacci, supported by the Barozzi, have kept control of Sant' Ambrogio. Neither of the other two families were keen to see the Donati dominating both of the city's major churches.

Clergy

Father Giulia Masacci is the current pastor of Sant' Ambrogio. The Senzavista priest is a rarity in Vodacce: an ordained woman. Her combination of extreme devotion to Theus, a knack for administration, and her father's connections secured her this post. Anyone who has met Father Masacci considers her a very holy woman; it's just that most think it would be more seemly if she were a nun rather than a priest. She has a reformer's zeal that she must suppress. Just her being a woman is enough of a shake-up to the community without her also being a troublemaker.

Maximillian is a former Eisen highwayman caught on the wrong side of the Seiger/Mondavi border a few months ago. Bernardo Donati pardoned him after the fellow gave a story of his terrible privations and vowed to reform his ways. Exactly how he crossed paths with Father Masacci isn't clear, but she apparently gave him an avenue by which he could fulfil his vow. He serves the parish in the role of an acolyte, humbly performing menial but necessary tasks.