“Diléxit multum” Those words carved above the entrance to the Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena in Milan whispered a story. A story of devotion a story of loss. This is the Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena. It’s not a grand cathedral. It doesn’t boast soaring spires or breathtaking stained glass. But its history is rich and layered.
The Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena wasn’t always here. In its place stood smaller churches San Biagio and Sant’Ippolito. Around 1500 Augustinian nuns known as the “monache del Paradiso” moved in. Their old monastery was too small. They expanded onto the land. Eventually they demolished the older buildings.
The construction of the new Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena started in 1594. The monumental facade you see today didn’t appear until 1721. Giovanni Ruggeri designed it. The facade’s design is striking with its two horizontal sections and Corinthian pilasters. Niches and a central portal add detail. Statues once adorned the building and surrounding piazzetta.
Inside the Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena there was an altar. It was rich with marble and sculptures. Mauro Milanese sculpted these works of art. A painting by Fede Galizia depicted Christ’s appearance to Mary Magdalene. Agostino Santagostino painted four pictures of the Magdalene’s actions. The church also housed other artworks. These included works by Camillo Procaccini Luigi Scaramuccia and Ercole Procaccini. Giovan Battista Della Rovere’s frescoes adorned the ceiling. Other artists like Federico Panza Federico Bianchi and Andrea Lanzani contributed as well.
The Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena wasn’t just a place of worship. It was a center of art a repository of religious devotion. In 1798 sadly this place of beauty and faith was suppressed. The convent closed. The church’s doors were shut. The silence that followed is broken only by the echoes of its past. The whispers of “Diléxit multum” remind us of the devotion and artistry once housed within these walls. The Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena serves as a reminder of a vibrant faith and artistic past. A legacy that deserves to be remembered.