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Church of San Bernardino alle Monache
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Show an other treasure of art and history in Milan:
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 Mostly represented styles: Gothic - Renaissance
The Church of San Bernardino alle Monache is all that remains of the large fourteenth-century monastery of Santa Maria of Cantalupo suppressed in 1782 by the Napoleonic laws.
It was built in the late fifteenth century to replace an older one. In agreement with the fact that the nuns of the monastery had just changed to the the Franciscan rule, the church was dedicated to the Franciscan preacher San Bernardino of Siena.
It is believed that the church was designed by Pietro Antonio Solari. It is a tall and narrow brick building, with single nave with a rectangular plan and a small square choir, with shell hanging vaults.
The façade is characterized by three high, narrow windows plus a small circular window.
The interior retains a significant part of the ancient frescoes, dating back to the late '400 and early' 500. The sails of the apse depict angels and symbols of the four evangelists. On the left wall of the presbytery there is a Madonna with Child, work of an anonymous of the late fifteenth century, on the left wall another Madonna and Child with St. Agnes of the School of Foppa. On the arch you can find frescoes of the Nativity, of the Flight from Egypt and of the Annunciation, works of anonymous artists of the early '500.
Most frescoes were removed, restored and put back in place.
The two altarpieces on the altar are deposits of the Academy of Brera.
The story of the little church is very troubled. Following the suppression of the monastery to which he belonged, the buildings around it were gradually demolished. In 1913 it was demolished even the seventeenth century baroque wing, which was added to the church in the mid-seventeenth century.
The first revival of the church, at that time in very poor condition, started in 1900, when the remains of the monastery were dismantled. Only the Church of San Bernardino was left in place, which in that occasione was brought to the original function, so that in 1923 it could be reopened for worship.
Unfortunately the bombings in 1943 caused a lot of damage, so that the church had to remain closed for several years. In the late '80s, however, it proved unusable again. After a new period of decline, in 1997 a last radical restoration process was finally launched, which eventually brought the Church of San Bernardino alle Monache to its current splendor and to being opened again in 2007.
In 1997, at the instigation of Abbot Emeritus of St. Ambrose, Franco Verzeleri, the "Cultural Association Friends of St. Bernardine Nuns" was founded, with the main purpose of promoting the knowledge of the history and the art of the church.
If you are interested in a guided tour of this monument send an email!
Categories: Churches / Religious buildings
via Lanzone , 13
20123 Milano (MI) |
Further pictures of the Church of San Bernardino alle Monache in the section Photography |