Church of Santa Maria in San Satiro

Via Speronari, 3. (Open Map)
(75)

Description

Not far from the Cathedral, this church offers a fine episode of Renaissance art. Rich ornamentation, gilded friezes, altarpieces, and a venerated image of the Virgin.
The small church of San Satiro has ancient origins, dating back to the 9th century. Just two bays remain, with a vaulted ceiling and walls decorated with Gothic frescoes. Close to the wall, there is a fine 14th century wooden sculpture depicting Saint Christopher and the Child Jesus, restored by Bramante in the late 15th century.
A miracle that took place on the site of the original church made it necessary to extend the building. Bramante was given the task of building a new structure alongside the old church, which would be dedicated to Saint Mary.
The church of Saint Mary, linked to San Satiro, has undergone considerable modifications over the years, and today its appearance comprises remarkable effects of space and volumes. The interior consists of three naves, with a fine dome at the crossing between the central nave and the transept. The interior is sumptuously decorated, and it includes a terra cotta sculpture on the subject of the Pietà.
The votive painting on the subject of the “Madonna and Child” (previously inside the church of San Satiro) is connected to a miracle that occurred in 1242. It is said that a youth struck the painting with a knife, and it began to bleed. The sacrilegious dagger is still conserved in the church, while the miraculous image has become the object of pilgrimages.