Santa Maria dei Miracoli presso San Celso is a church and a sanctuary in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, Lombardy, northern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

History and overview

The construction was begun by

Gian Giacomo Dolcebuono Gian Giacomo Quadri, known as Dolcebuono ( 1445 – 1504) was an Italian architect and sculptor. Born probably in Lugano, he was a relative of Giacomo Antonio Dolcebuono, who had provided one of the first projects for the façade of the Certosa ...

and Giovanni Battagio in 1493, to house a miraculous icon of the Madonna, initially on the central plan. The first part to be built was the octagonal dome, covered externally by a

tambour In classical architecture, a tambour ( Fr.: "drum") is the inverted bell of the Corinthian capital around which are carved acanthus leaves for decoration. The term also applies to the wall of a circular structure, whether on the ground or rais ...

with a loggia and arcades decorated by twelve brickwork statues by Agostino De Fondulis, designed in Lombard style by

Giovanni Antonio Amadeo 260px, Amadeo, Milan Cathedral 260px, The Colleoni Chapel in Bergamo. Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (c. 1447 – 27 or 28 August 1522) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor of the Early Renaissance, architect, and engineer. Biography Amadeo was born ...

(1494-1498). In 1506 to the original edifice a complex with nave and two aisles was added, the former covered by a monumental barrel vault also by Amadeo; the presbytery received a polygonal

ambulatory The ambulatory ( la, ambulatorium, ‘walking place’) is the covered passage around a cloister or the processional way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar. The first ambulatory was in France in the 11th ...

inspired to that in the

Duomo ''Duomo'' (, ) is an Italian term for a church with the features of, or having been built to serve as, a cathedral, whether or not it currently plays this role. Monza Cathedral, for example, has never been a diocesan seat and is by definition n ...

. In the 16th century also the square portico in classical style was added, perhaps designed by

Cesare Cesariano image:De architectura.jpg, 240px, The 1521 Italian language, Italian edition of Vitruvius' ''De architectura'', translated and illustrated by Cesare Cesariano. Cesare di Lorenzo Cesariano (December 10, 1475 – March 30, 1543) was an Italian ...

Cristoforo Lombardo Cristoforo may refer to: See also * Cristoforo Colombo (disambiguation) * Cristian (disambiguation) Cristian is the Romanian and Spanish form of the male given name Christian. In Romanian, it is also a surname. Cristian may refer to: Peop ...

(il Lombardino). The massive eclectic and

Mannerist Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Ita ...

style façade was designed by

Galeazzo Alessi Galeazzo Alessi (1512 – 30 December 1572) was an Italian architect from Perugia, known throughout Europe for his distinctive style based on his enthusiasm for ancient architecture. He studied drawing for civil and military architecture under the ...

in the late 16th century and was realized by

Martino Bassi Martino Bassi (1542–1591) was an Italian architect active in the Renaissance period, mainly in Milan. He was born in Seregno near Milan. He was involved in a public dispute regarding the baptistery of the Cathedral of Milan. He helped build the ...

; it is decorated by numerous statues and reliefs by Stoldo Lorenzi and

Annibale Fontana Annibale Fontana (1540–1587) was an Italian sculptor, medallist and crystal-worker. Fontana was born in Milan. His first known work is a crystal case, now in the ''Schatzkammer '' of Munich, for Albert V of Bavaria (c. 1560-1570). In 1570–15 ...

. From 1595 the organist was the keyboard virtuoso

Giovanni Paolo Cima Giovanni Paolo Cima (c. 1570 – 1630) was an Italian composer and organist in the early Baroque era. He was a contemporary of Claudio Monteverdi and Girolamo Frescobaldi, though not as well known (then or now) as either of those men. Cima ca ...

Interior

The interior houses numerous works by Milanese Renaissance and Baroque artists: Giovan Battista Crespi (il Cerano), Camillo and

Giulio Cesare Procaccini Giulio Cesare Procaccini (1574–1625) was an Italian painter and sculptor of the early Baroque era in Milan. Biography Born in Bologna he was son of the Mannerist painter Ercole Procaccini the Elder and brother of Camillo Procaccini and Car ...

Carlo Francesco Nuvolone Carlo Francesco Nuvolone (1608 or 1609 in Milan – 1661 or 1662 in Milan)Antonio Campi, Bergognone,

Callisto Piazza 280px, ''Beheading of the Baptist'', Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice Callisto Piazza (1500–1561) was an Italian painter. Biography Callisto, a member of the Piazza family of painters, was born in Lodi, Lombardy. In 1523 he was working in ...

and others. Notable are the ''Baptism of Jesus'' by

Gaudenzio Ferrari Gaudenzio Ferrari (c. 1471 – 11 January 1546) was an Italian painter and sculptor of the Renaissance. Biography Gaudenzio was born to Franchino Ferrari at Valduggia in the Valsesia in the Duchy of Milan. Valduggia is now in the Province of V ...

and

Giovan Battista della Cerva Giovan Battista della Cerva (c. 1515–1580) was an Italian painter. Born in Novara, he was a pupil of Gaudenzio Ferrari, of whom he became the main assistant and collaborator during the last stage of his career. Works entirely by della Cerva inc ...

, the ''Fall of St. Paul'' by

Moretto Moretto is a surname, and may refer to: *Moretto, or Moretto da Brescia, (c. 1498–1554), Italian Renaissance painter (in his case ''Il Moretto'' was a nickname) *Angie Moretto, NHL player *Enrico Moretto, Italian fighter ace *Graziella Moretto, a ...

and, on the altar of the right transept, an altarpiece by

Paris Bordone Paris Bordone (Paris Paschalinus Bordone; 5 July 1500 – 19 January 1571) was an Italian painter of the Venetian Renaissance who, despite training with Titian, maintained a strand of Mannerist complexity and provincial vigor. Biography Bord ...

. The lectern of the choir is by Giuseppe Meda. In the left transept, within an altar designed by Martino Bassi, is the venerated marble statue of the ''Assunta'' by

(1586) with two later angels by Giulio Cesare Procaccini.

San Celso

Annexed to Santa Maria is the Romanesque church of San Celso, dedicated to the martyr Saint Celsus, which was largely demolished. It was founded in the 4th century and rebuilt in the 11th century. The façade (remade in the 19th century) has a rose window and a Romanesque portal with animal figures decoration. Also from the 11th century is the bell tower.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Maria Presso San Celso 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Maria presso San Celso Renaissance architecture in Milan Tourist attractions in Milan Basilica churches in Milan