• About

    The Church of San Carlo al Corso is a Neoclassical church in Milan, located in the homonymous square, along Corso Vittorio Emanuele.

     

    SHORT HISTORY

    The Church of San Carlo al Corso was built to replace the medieval Church of Santa Maria dei Servi, the Milanese seat of the Order of Servants of Mary since 1290.

    The new church was built as a sign of gratitude for the end of a cholera epidemic, and dedicated to San Carlo Borromeo, the great Milanese bishop.

    The project of the church belonged to the architect Carlo Amati from Monza, also the author of the final design of the facade of the Duomo. However, the construction site was led between 1838 and 1847 by the architect Filippo Pizzagalli.

    Today, the Church of San Carlo al Corso is still officiated by the Servites.

     

    ARCHITECTURE

    The Church of San Carlo al Corso is a fine example of the Neoclassical style, inspired by the Roman Pantheon, with significant similarities to the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola in Naples.

    The structure has a circular plan, preceded by a porticoed square and introduced by a pronaos on 36 large monolithic Corinthian columns, placed on a wide staircase.

    The colonnade consists of two side porticos, with three columns each, and the central pronaos supported by eight columns on the longer side, and surmounted by a triangular pediment without decorations, with a cross supported by two angels on top.

    The huge dome of the church is placed on a cylindrical tambour, and is embellished by an alternation of half columns, windows and niches, while the lantern of the dome is marked by angelic caryatids that separate the windows.

    Behind the church, there is the bell tower, which, with its 84 meters, is the highest in Milan.

    Inside, the church has a large circular nave of 32.2 meters in diameter, surrounded by an annular colonnade in red granite, pierced by exedras that form the chapels. In the center of the colonnade, between the exedras, a deep presbytery opens with its small dome, side columns and a very rich ornamentation.

     

    HOW TO GET THERE

    The Church of San Carlo al Corso is located in Piazza San Carlo, about 400 meters away from the Cathedral of the Nativity of Saint Mary.

    The closest Metro station is San Babila, located about 100 meters away, on the Metro Line 1. The closest bus stop, located about 200 meters away, has the same name, and can be reached with the bus Lines 54 and 61.

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