The Cathedral of the Nativity of Saint Mary, better known as Duomo di Milano, is the largest church in Italy, and the fourth largest in the world. The Cathedral, which took almost six hundred years to complete, is the most important tourist attraction in Milan and the most famous symbol of the city. SHORT HISTORY Once, on the site where the Duomo stands today, there was the ancient Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Basilica of Santa Tecla. After the collapse of the bell tower of the cathedral, the Archbishop Antonio de’ Saluzzi, supported by the population, proposed in 1386 the building of a new and larger cathedral. To make room for the new church, both churches were demolished. In January 1387, the foundations of the pylons were laid. The chief architect was Simone d’Orsenigo, who, in 1388, began the perimeter walls. Between 1389 and 1390, the French Nicolas de Bonaventure was commissioned to design the windows. In 1393, the first capital of the pillars was sculpted by Giovannino de’ Grassi, who was the main architect of the work until his death, in 1398. In 1400, Filippino degli Orgi took his place, who focused on the construction of Read more [...]
Tag: Carlo Amati in Milan
Church of San Carlo al Corso
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. Read more [...]