Associazione Cittadini Bovisasca

Of the various ancient devotional chapels erected in Affori, only this one and the one dedicated to Santa Giustina have survived. The latter, however, was incorporated into a church built in the 1400s, which was subsequently replaced by the old church (now located in Piazzetta Cialdini) in the 16th century.  The origins of the devotion to the young martyr of Caesarea di Cappadocia (Asia Minor) remain unknown. This little church has witnessed centuries of growing recognition whose echoes faded inexplicably during the 1960s. A document from 1807 records that visitors could admire: "...the choir, a precious and original remnant of the 10th century."

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One of the few remaining artifacts is a fresco painting, discreetly preserved and still visible on the gospel side, beyond the marble balustrade from the 1700s. It depicts the young San Mamete, humble in his bearing but proud of his faith for which he gave his life; He is portrayed with an angelic face, slightly inclined, blond hair framed by a full-length halo; From a technical perspective, the painting appears to have been done in the first half of the 1400s. In another document from 1745, we read: "...The apse was painted in shades that were sometimes bright, sometimes pale, sometimes muted in the shadows, and at times enlivened by a beam of ligh. This light, breaking through the lunette of the choir at sunrise, made the halos of the frescoes stand out, emphasizing them.

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The wooden ceiling, according to the style of the second half of the 15th century, was covered with paper decorated with sun rays, gold stars, and fluttering ribbons bearing biblical mottos. The ancient documents in the San Mamete dossier also recount the existence of a small oratory and the annual festival that was celebrated there, which attracted many people from the surrounding villages. This event embodied religious solemnity, a friendly gathering and it served as an occasion for exchanging news and trading local products. The festival lasted a week and culminated on August 16, coinciding with the traditional celebration of Saint Rocco (highly venerated by the peasant population).

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To protect the little church, the parish priests of Affori had placed a "hermit" there since 1500, who lived in special rooms incorporated into the building and carried out the duties of sacristan and custodian.
The little church was so famous that, in 1671, Giuseppe Valvassori, the doctor of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, published a booklet narrating the life of the Saint and the "famous oratory of San Mamete", fulfilling the wishes of Rev. Don Francesco Maria Ferrario, curate of Affori. At that time, parish priest Ferrario was restoring the crumbling chapel, had the baroque-style altar erected there, which still exists today, and relocated one of the mural paintings to serve as an altarpiece - though the painting has unfortunately been lost. In 1706, parish priest Gian Battista Motta carried out another restoration work (balustrade, flooring, ceiling trusses). During the first half of the 19th century, Parish Priest Astesani, an esteemed and competent scholar of art and archaeology, had his parents buried there. Following his example, the noble Litta Gherardini family, owners of the Villa and a large part of Affori, had Donna Teresa Litta Arese buried there as well. Parish Priest Tognola also carried out restoration work, remaking the structures and revitalizing the "festival", which remained significant until his death in 1964. He restructured the small square in front of the church, fenced it, as well as the adjoining "vignolo", and renovated the niche of the Saint. Thanks to his artistic expertise, he uncovered precious 12th - and 16th - century paintings hidden beneath 18th-century frescoes, which attest to its antiquity. In 1985, a major restoration led by Parish Priest Enrico Alberti restored some dignity to the building. Today, following administrative decisions by the Milanese Curia, the church is managedd by the Parish of S. Filippo Neri (Bovisasca district).
(from EDIFICI E OPERE STORICHE - Asco Affori (weebly.com))

Entering the church The painting dedicated to the saint is located at the end of the left wall, just before the triumphal arch. It depicts a young man whom most people identify as San Mamete. The peculiarity of the painting lies in the fact that the saint is holding a long sword, symbolising knighthood, perhaps suggesting he was a crusader, an identity that Mamete never actually held.
The church is dedicated to the patron saint of pregnant women and wet nurses. Mamete is considered the protector of those who breastfeed, such as wet nurses or new mothers, because, according to the legend, when he fled to the mountains of Turkey to escape Roman persecution, wild animals would spontaneously approach him and let themselves be milked so that he could feed himself with their milk.

In particular, in Brianza and Milan areas, Mamete is the saint invoked by women who struggle to breastfeed their children, hoping for an increase in their milk supply . At least until the early twentieth century, before the advent of artificial milk, women who gave birth and could not produce milk often turned to wet nurses for help. Interestingly, the wet nurses most preferred by the Milanese all came from Affori because they were believed to be the healthiest and most robust.

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