“Lost in translation?” More like, lost in transformation. This is Chiesa di San Giuseppe. It is a chameleon of design. Construction began in 1607. It finished in 1630.
San Giuseppe stands a short distance from the Teatro alla Scala. It is in the heart of Milan. The church is a prime example of Baroque architecture. Many consider it a masterpiece by Francesco Maria Richini.
But its story began long before Richini. In 1503, a Franciscan preacher named Francesco from San Colombano founded the Pius Place of San Giuseppe. These pious places provided assistance. They operated independently of direct ecclesiastical authority for goods. But they still deferred to it for spiritual matters.
By 1575, the initial church was deemed too small. A decision was made to replace it with a larger structure. Work only commenced around the start of the new century. Engineer Ercole Turati was initially in charge from 1605. Then came Giovan Battista Corbetta. Finally, in 1607, Francesco Maria Richini took over. He dedicated thirty years to the building. Worship services began in the new San Giuseppe in 1616. However, it was not yet complete. The facade construction occurred between 1629 and 1630. Richini completed the polychrome marble floor by 1640.
Private benefactors funded two minor altars in the late seventeenth century. In the late eighteenth century, the current high altar replaced the original gilded wood one. It features polychrome marble. The Pius Place of San Giuseppe was suppressed in 1784. Its welfare activities went under the jurisdiction of other major places. In 1796, the mint requisitioned a significant portion of the ancient pious place’s silver.
Updating works occurred in the nineteenth century to align with neoclassical style. Statues of Saints Peter and Paul found their places in the facade niches. Luigi Scorzini’s bas-relief depicting the Holy Family went above the entrance. This replaced a lost fresco. Statues of prophets Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were added inside. They went into niches beneath the small cantorias.
The plan of San Giuseppe has largely retained its seventeenth-century appearance. It features a succession of two central plans. One corresponds to the hall. The other to the presbytery. The hall results from transforming a square into an octagon. This happens through sturdy corner pillars. Colossal columns protrude three-quarters from the masonry. Niches and accessible cantorias lighten the pillars.
The interior is confusing. Visitors perceive an octagonal space when entering a church that is externally rectangular. The octagon is recognizable externally at the level of the tiburium. The polychrome marble floor enhances the octagonal symmetry.
The presbytery is square but comparable in size to the main hall. It also has side chapels. This gives the impression of a rectangular plan. The interior of San Giuseppe is sumptuous and severe. This is partly due to the many gray surfaces and structures.
The facade has two orders marked by pilasters and columns. It is a unitary structure. The central entrance is unique. Two pediments are present. The central part features two columns. A frame above the entrance contains the bas-relief of the Holy Family. Niches with statues, carved frames, and a balcony window enrich the facade.
San Giuseppe has four side chapels. Two main ones are flat. They are on the sides of the main hall. Two secondary ones are shallow. They are on both sides of the presbytery. All four side altars have a similar structure. They feature a large retable of architectural design. The retables act as frames for altarpieces.
The main right side altar features Giulio Cesare Procaccini’s Death of St. Joseph. The altar has a Baroque frontal with an Adoration of the Magi. The main left side altar showcases Giovan Battista Crespi’s Marriage of the Virgin. It has a Baroque frontal with a Virgin of the Rosary. Andrea Lanzani’s Flight to Egypt is on the right secondary side altar. Stefano Danedi’s Sermon by the Baptist is on the left.
The apse contains the Baroque altar. It is in polychrome marble. It also features an elaborate retable. A statue of St. Joseph with Child by Elia Vincenzo Buozzi is in the center.
San Giuseppe is more than just a church. It is a layered story. It is a testament to Milan’s artistic evolution. As you leave, consider how Richini blended tradition and innovation.