San Giovanni in Conca is a

crypt A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...

of a former basilica church 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 ...

, 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 re ...

. It is now located in the centre of Piazza Missori.

History

The basilica of San Giovanni in Conca dates from the 4th century, and was located in a residential quarter of the

ancient city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

. Remains of the mosaic pavement of this original edifice are now in the Archeological Museum of Milan. The church was rebuilt in the 11th century, but was destroyed by

Frederick Barbarossa Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on ...

's troops in 1162. It was again reconstructed in the 13th century and later became the private chapel of the

Visconti Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...

rulers of Milan The following is a list of rulers of Milan from the 13th century to 1814, after which it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by the Congress of Vienna. Before elevation to duchy Until 1259, Milan was a free commune that elec ...

Bernabò Visconti Bernabò or Barnabò Visconti (1323 – 19 December 1385) was an Italian soldier and statesman who was Lord of Milan. Along with his brothers Matteo and Galeazzo II, he inherited the lordship of Milan from his uncle Giovanni. Later in 1355, he an ...

had it connected to his new grandiose palace through a super-elevated walk, and was buried here in a monument by

Bonino da Campione Bonino da Campione was an Italian sculptor in the Gothic art, Gothic style, active between 1350 and 1390. His name indicates that he was born in - or into a family originating in - Campione d'Italia, a Lombardy town in an enclave within Switzerla ...

which is now in the

Sforzesco Castle The Castello Sforzesco (Italian for "Sforza's Castle") is a medieval fortification located in Milan, northern Italy. It was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, on the remnants of a 14th-century fortification. Later reno ...

together with that of his consort, Regina della Scala. In 1531, Duke

Francesco II Sforza Francesco II Sforza (February 4, 1495 – November 2, 1535) was Duke of Milan from 1521 until his death. He was the last member of the Sforza family to rule Milan. He was the second son of Ludovico Sforza and Beatrice d'Este. When Ludovico ...

donated it to the

Carmelites , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

, who erected a campanile which was utilized as astronomical observatory in the 19th century. The church was deconsecrated by the

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

ns and closed by the French in the late 18th century. In 1879, the church was shortened to allow the construction of the current Via Mazzini; in the occasion, the Gothic façade was attached to the apse. San Giovanni in Conca was then sold to the

Waldensians The Waldensians (also known as Waldenses (), Vallenses, Valdesi or Vaudois) are adherents of a church tradition that began as an ascetic movement within Western Christianity before the Reformation. Originally known as the "Poor Men of Lyon" in ...

who, when the church was demolished (1949), rebuilt the façade on their new church in Via Francesco Sforza. Works of demolition were however halted just before their end, leaving only the crypt and remains of the apse.

Remains

San Giovanni in Conca ruins include the only extant example of Romanesque

in Milan. It houses archaeological findings which illustrates the church's history. Over the crypt are remains of the apse walls, with a single

mullioned window A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid supp ...

and blind arches typical of the Milanese Romanesque. Artworks from the church which are now in the Sforzesco Castle include, apart the two aforementioned funerary monuments, two figures from an ''Annunciation'' (11th century), some Romanesque capitals and frescoes from the 14th century.

References

Page about the church's history
{{DEFAULTSORT:San Giovanni In Conca 4th-century churches 14th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Giovanni in Conca 18th-century disestablishments in Italy Romanesque architecture in Milan 4th-century establishments in Italy Tourist attractions in Milan Basilica churches in Milan