A forgotten relic whispers tales of pestilence. This is the Lazzaretto of Milan. Right before you stands San Carlo al Lazzaretto a small Renaissance church. It’s a survivor a testament to Milan’s resilience. The church stands where a vast leprosarium once existed. This massive 15th-century Lazzaretto was a quadrangle. Its sides stretched 400 yards long. It was designed by Lazzaro Palazzi. Imagine its scale. It stood outside the city walls near Porta Orientale.
The Lazzaretto served a grim purpose. It housed the sick during devastating plague outbreaks. One particularly horrific outbreak occurred in 1576. Archbishop Carlo Borromeo commissioned a new church. Pellegrino Tibaldi designed it. Construction lasted from 1558 to 1592. The design was ingenious. Open circumferential arches allowed the ill to witness services. They could see from all corners of the surrounding porticos.
After the French occupied the Duchy the Lazzaretto became barracks. During the Cisalpine Republic Giuseppe Piermarini had a different vision. He transformed the church into a secular Temple of the Nation. He demolished the cupola and walled the sides. Reconstruction soon ceased. The Lazzaretto’s central fields became farmland. The surrounding cloister was used by peasants.
By the late 19th century the Lazzaretto was almost completely demolished. The little church survived. It was reconsecrated in 1884. It received a new dome and a facade portico. Today it remains. It’s a poignant reminder of a dark chapter in Milan’s history. The vibrations from a nearby underground train damaged the dome. The Rocca Foundation completely restored it. The restoration used modern techniques. Now the church hosts religious services and concerts. Rooms added in the late 1800s are now for musicians. The altar was moved to create more concert space. A new organ with 1800 pipes was installed. It’s a remarkable instrument with a romantic-symphonic sound.
The Lazzaretto may be gone. Its memory lives on in this remarkable church. The Lazzaretto stands as a symbol of survival and rebirth. It’s a place where history echoes in every stone. This is the Lazzaretto of Milan. A place that will remain.