ITChurches
In addition to the world renowned Duomo, that with its ‘Madonnina’ (statue of Our Lady) is Milan's best known image, the city also has a large number of churches built during different periods in history and that in many cases house incredibly valuable artistic treasures. Well-known artists from every period in history have contributed to the construction of these marvellous places of worship.
The basilica of Sant’Ambrogio reveals sixteen centuries of history and is queen and mother of all of Lombardy’s churches. The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie was built thanks to the contribution of two important architects, i.e. Guiniforte Solari and Bramante. Leonardo consigned his church to history by painting his famous ‘Last Supper’ on one of the walls of the refectory of the Dominican convent.
Other masterpieces include the basilicas of San Lorenzo and Sant’Eustorgio and the church of San Maurizio at the Maggiore Monastery with the magnificent sixteenth century frescoes of Bernardino Luini. Then there is the church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro, onto which Bramante heaped his genius by admirably exploiting the meagre space at his disposal creating an illusion of depth with the trickery of perspective creating the arches and coffered ceilings of the false apse. Away from the city centre, to the south of Milan, in a countryside that is predominantly agricultural, the splendid Abbeys of Milan – by Guiniforte Solari and Bramante - are well worth a visit.