Chiesa di Santa Maria del Soccorso

Tucked away in Milan, the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Soccorso holds a captivating tale. It’s a story of refuge and resilience, echoing through centuries past. Isabella d’Aragona, a noblewoman of Spanish descent, founded the Opera del Soccorso in 1555. This institution provided shelter and support for women in need. Isabella initially rented a house for this purpose. Upon her death in 1568, Archbishop Carlo Borromeo took the Opera under his wing. He merged it with another group of twelve women, known as the Terziarie di San Francesco. These women then governed the entire congregation. Their new home became the parish church of San Benedetto. Borromeo purchased an adjacent building to expand the Opera and provided a personal endowment for its continued support. He also established rules for the governance of the institution and the women it served. In the early 17th century, after Federico Borromeo’s death, his own charitable establishment, the Ricovero delle Malmaritate, merged with the Opera del Soccorso at Porta Nuova. The Chiesa di Santa Maria del Soccorso thus became a beacon of hope for vulnerable women in a changing world. The institution’s journey ended in 1786 when it was suppressed. Its assets and records, including those from the Ricovero delle Malmaritate, were absorbed by the Orfanotrofio femminile delle Stelline, an orphanage for girls. The Chiesa di Santa Maria del Soccorso, though no longer serving its original purpose, stands as a reminder of the compassion and dedication of those who sought to uplift the lives of women in need.