The
Monza ampullae form the largest collection of a specific type of Early Medieval
pilgrimage ampullae or small flasks designed to hold holy oil from pilgrimage sites in the
Holy Land related to the life of Jesus, that were made in
Palestine, probably in the fifth to early seventh centuries. They have been in the Treasury of
Monza Cathedral north of
Milan in Italy since they were donated by
Theodelinda, queen of the
Lombards, (c. 570-628). Since the great majority of surviving examples of such flasks are those in the Monza group, the term may be used to cover this type of object in general. The second largest group was discovered in a burial at
Bobbio Abbey, not far from Monza, and names such as
Monza/Bobbio flasks ampullae or
flagons are among the many terms by which these objects are described. The few other examples are now scattered across the world; this article deals with the whole group of over fifty known ampullae, wherever located. Examples of comparable ampullae from pilgrimage sites outside the
Holy Land have also survived, for example a very similar one from a Syrian site related to
Saint Sergius, now in the
Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.