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Basilica of San Marco
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Show an other treasure of art and history in Milan:
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 Mostly represented styles: Gothic - Renaissance - Baroque
The Basilica of San Marco is another monument in Milan which is very little visited, although of great historical importance and of great aesthetic impact.
It was built in the middle of the thirteenth century at the behest of the Prior of the Hermits of St. Augustine, Lanfranco Settala. The name of the building probably wanted to be a tribute to Venice, which helped the city of Milan in the period of the struggle against Frederick Barbarossa.
The Church of San Marco was constructed in three phases.
In the first phase, Romanesque, from the late twelfth century to the beginning of the next, the south transept, the apse and the first two bays of the longitudinal body were built.
The second phase, on the initiative of Settala, brought a significant change of direction so as to consider its start date (1254) as the proper date of foundation. Following the Cistercian canons a large rectangular choir six chapels at the ends of the branches of the transept were built and the windows were moved.
The third phase took place in the fourteenth century and led to the elongation of five bays of the church, the elongation of the choir, with the addition of a polygonal apse, and the completion of the facade.
As for the bell tower, it dates back to the thirteenth century.
The chapels on the south side of the church were built in the sixteenth century. The oldest, and perhaps the most beautiful, is the first, the chapel Foppa (Pic. 3, 4), of the year 1570, with frescoes by Lomazzo.
Other important changes, in Baroque style, were made in the seventeenth century. The presbiterium was completely renovated, with the complete coverage of its ceiling with frescoes (Pic. 6) of and the addition of two large paintings, one by Procaccini and and one by Cerano. Furthemore the left wall of the church was enriched with fake architectural backgrounds (one example in pic. 10), as if to balance the chapels on the other side. At that time of the Basilica di San Marco was the largest church after the Cathedral of Milan.
The changes continued even at the turn of the seventeenth and eighteenth century, with the construction of the dome (to make room for it the two pillars closer to the bottom of the church were eliminated). In addition, the rose window on the facade was removed to make way for a large window. From that period are also the benches.
The last major change to the Church of San Marco was carried out by Maciachini in the second half of the nineteenth century. He renewed the facade in neo-Gothic style and increased its height, restoring the rose window and removing the Baroque modifications.
The current interior of the Church of San Marco is a Latin cross with three naves and nine chapels. Inside one of the chapels along the right aisle, the chapel Foppa, frescoes of the Stories of St. Peter and St. Paul, by Paolo Lomazzo are present. In an other one there is a paper crib, a work of Londonio (not photographed because it was not lit during the visit).
In the transept there is the fourteenth century tomb of Blessed Lanfranco Settala (namesake of the founder of the church). On the adjacent wall it is possible to recognize the overlap of the fourteenth-century frescoes and Baroque ones. The oldest frescoes, still in Byzantine style, however, are present in the chapel under the bell tower.
A registration testifies that in the eighteenth century the rectory hosted the young Mozart. In 1874, moreover, the Requiem Mass in memory of Alessandro Manzoni, was directed by Giuseppe Verdi.
The left aisle houses paintings from churches abolished during the Napoleonic period. Since 1984 finally there is also a small museum.
Source:
San Marco on Wikipedia
Other pictures of the Basilica of San Marco in the section Photography of this web site
Other pictures on the Google+ page
If you are interested in a guided tour of this monument send an email!
Categories: Churches / Religious buildings
Piazza San Marco, 2, 20121 Milano |
Further pictures of the Basilica of San Marco in the section Photography |