The throbbing heart of Milan is Duomo Square, the whole city seems to revolve around the square; people are everywere, either on their way to the office or factory, a shopping or theater date, or else slowly strolling around and windows-shopping the fashonable stores under the arcade. The huge rectangular square was renovated in the 19^th century by Giuseppe Mengoni who restored all the surrounding buildings to armonize with the Cathedral, which makes an ideal beckground setting. The two long side are actually arcaded buildings, the North Building and the South Building, the former pierced by the triumphal arch of Vittorio Emanuele II Arcade and the latter followed by two minor arcaded buildings of 1939 known as the "propilei". In the center of the square is Ercole Rosa's 1896 equestrian monument to Vittorio Emanuele II. The Italian King is portayed as he incites his soldiers on to victory in the Battle of St. Martin. The figure of the king as he reins in his horse and turns to address his men is in keeping with extremly naturalistic treatment of the whole. Along the base is a rilief depicting the Piedmont and French troops entering Milan and on either side is a marble lion. But the most fashinating sights are below and not on Cathedral Square! Important archeological finds were unearthed during a dig in 1942 and the experts soon came to the conclusion that the ruins they had discovered were actually the remains of St. Tecla - originally built in the 4^th century and then later rebuilt and rebuilt throughout the centuries until the building was finally torn down in the 15^th century. Other remains brough to light behind St. Tecla come from to the octagonal-shaped Baptistery of St. Jhon of the Font, it too dating bach to the 4^th century, and lastly, on the same site as the Cathedral, the basilica of St. Maria Maggiore, which gradually disappeared to make way for the giant cathedral.