Whose spirit watches over us here? It’s not just the divine, but the spirit of Azzone Visconti himself. We stand before the San Gottardo Church, a church he commissioned in 1330 as his own personal, ducal chapel. Azzone, the powerful lord of Milan, sought solace and divine intervention for an ailment that plagued him: gout. The San Gottardo Church, completed in 1336, was initially dedicated to the Virgin Mary. However, Azzone, seeking relief from his affliction, later rededicated it to St. Gotthard of Hildesheim, the patron saint of gout sufferers. Look up at the elegant, octagonal bell tower. It’s not just a beautiful structure. It houses a piece of history: Milan’s first public clock. Imagine the clang of the bell, marking the hours for the city dwellers below. Inside, we see the mark of changing times, a blend of styles from Lombard Gothic to Neoclassical. The church houses a treasure – a fragment of a Giotto-esque fresco depicting the Crucifixion. Discovered in 1926 at the base of the bell tower, it’s a whisper of the church’s origins. And here, within these very walls, lies the tomb of Azzone Visconti himself. The lord of Milan, forever bound to the church he built. San Gottardo Church is a testament to the power and piety of a medieval ruler. It’s a place where art, history and faith intertwine.
Chiesa parrocchiale di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola
“A church built in just a year?” you might ask, eyebrows raised. Yes, indeed! The Chiesa parrocchiale di Sant’Ignazio di