The Church of Sant'Agnese is a Gothic-style, Augustinian church in Lodi,

Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...

, a region of Italy. The church was expanded in 1393 by Bonifacio Bottigella when he became Bishop of Lodi. Bottigella oversaw the diocese until 1404. The church has been celebrated as representing a great moment in Lombard Gothic Architecture. The polygonal

apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...

and two-tiered

bell-tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell towe ...

are similar to that of the

Lodi Cathedral Lodi Cathedral (, ''Basilica Cattedrale della Vergine Assunta'') is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Lodi, Lombardy, Lodi, Lombardy, Italy. It is also a basilica minor. Dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is the seat of th ...

Facade

The Facade resembles that of the

. Its defining characters are its accentuated vertical extension, arched windows, a staggered

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative Moulding (decorative), moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, ar ...

, unique pointed

pinnacles A pinnacle is an architectural element originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was mainly ...

, and

Acroterion An acroterion, acroterium, (pl. akroteria) is an architectural ornament placed on a flat pedestal called the ''acroter'' or plinth, and mounted at the apex or corner of the pediment of a building in the classical style. An acroterion placed ...

decoration.

Interior

The interior has three

naves The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type b ...

of equal height supported by ornate groin-vaults. This is supported by rows of cylindrical pillars. The original structure is almost entirely intact, although the original

late-Gothic Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

paintings which adorned the walls have not survived.

The Galliani Polyptych

The church houses a large polyptych by Albertino Piazza.Comune of Lodi
brief itinerary. The most important piece of art in the church, it was painted in 1520 which originally served as the

Altarpiece An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, ...

. It was later relocated to a chapel on the first

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

of the right side of the aisles. The Tympanum shows a representation of the white dove between rays of light, a symbol of the

Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the Holy Ghost, is a concept within the Abrahamic religions. In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is understood as the divine quality or force of God manifesting in the world, particularly in acts of prophecy, creati ...

. The

lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', 'little moon') is a crescent- or half-moon–shaped or semi-circular architectural space or feature, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be ...

shows a representation of

God the Father God the Father is a title given to God in Christianity. In mainstream trinitarian Christianity, God the Father is regarded as the first Person of the Trinity, followed by the second person, Jesus Christ the Son, and the third person, God th ...

imparting a blessing, flanked by scenes of

annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Agnese Lodi 14th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches in Lodi, Lombardy Gothic architecture in Lombardy