St. Michael Statue in Piazza San Paolo, Monza: Replacing a Longobard-Era Church

The Church of San Michele Arcangelo in Monza was the city's oldest church, following only the Teodolindean Basilica of San Giovanni (now the duomo of Monza). Although some sources suggest that it dates back to 628, during the Longobard period, this claim is unverified. Evidence, however, supports that it was demolished in 1922. In 2004, a statue of St. Michael was placed in Piazza San Paolo to commemorate the church’s existence. Created by Benedetto Pietrogrande, the statue depicts St. Michael in an untraditional manner, showing a departure from martial features. However, the exact nature of this modern depiction of St. Michael is not specified in the sources.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons