The legend of the King Magi

(On the side: particular of the King Magi of the Manger of '700 in the Church of Saint Sisinio

From writes on the Cathedral of Köln from "Grandi Peccatori Grandi Cattedrali" by Cesare Marchi we quote :

The history of the Dome of Köln begins in Milan on 1164. The Lombardic city, distroyed by the Barbarossa two years before, is reviving, but the heavy Germanic" protection" continues. Between the objects that the aliens would want to add to the booty are the bodies of the King Magi, guarded in the church of Sant'Eustorgio and found, in the IV.  century in the East. The legend says that Sant'Elena and her son the emperor Costantino would have carried them to Milan. Precious bodies, the most precious relics, that  Rinaldo von Dassel , archbishop of Köln and imperial chancellor encamped in Pavia, wanted to have.

In the Middle Age the importance  of a city and of its church, grew with the importance of the relics the devout people succeeded, by not always lawful means, to have. It seems that the purchase by the archbishop was consequence  of a ransom or of a traison: Azzone della  Torre tried to avoid the the pillage by hidding the precious rests in its palace. The Milanesi became angry, and wanted to kill him. In order to save himself he proposed the swap: in exchange for the delivery of the three relics the Germans he saved his live. Transaction made: the Archbishop obtained from the Barbarossa the consent to transfer the bodies to Köln without knowing of the Milanesi.

Still today the Dome of Köln is center of the cult of the three King:

to them are dedicated an altar, many art works and ancient and precious documents.

From his travel to Milan Rinaldo also carried with him a statue of a Madonna, from then known in Köln as "the Madonna from Milano " ( Mailänder Madonna)