Who would have thought that Milan once held a Chiesa di Sant’Anna near what is now Corso Garibaldi? Sadly it was suppressed and then demolished in the early 1800s.
Let’s journey back in time to understand its story. The Chiesa di Sant’Anna had humble beginnings. It stood near the Castello Sforzesco. We know it existed as far back as 1285. In that year a procession carried the Carroccio past its doors before a war. A member of the Castiglione family led the charge.
However Duke Francesco Sforza wanted to expand the castle’s defenses. He ordered the original Chiesa di Sant’Anna demolished. It was a decision that changed Milan’s landscape forever.
Initially cloistered nuns occupied the church. Later they moved to the Chiesa di Sant’Apollinare. In 1670 the Chiesa di Sant’Anna welcomed a congregation of Teatini monks. They had petitioned Pope Clemente X for this honor.
Imagine the church’s architecture. It had a single nave with several side chapels. A wooden ceiling covered the space. Giovan Battista Discepoli created four organ doors for the church. These doors depicted Sant’Anna. They also showed Our Lady with baby Jesus. Further images included Sant’Agostino and San Girolamo. These artworks enriched the church’s interior.
Several historical texts mention the Chiesa di Sant’Anna. Serviliano Latuada’s book from 1738 describes Milan. Lorenzo Sonzogno wrote about Milan’s street names in 1835. Paolo Rotta documented Milan’s churches from their origins to his time in 1891. These books offer glimpses into the church’s past. They help us understand its place in Milanese history.
Although the Chiesa di Sant’Anna is gone its memory lives on. It reminds us of Milan’s ever-changing story. Buildings rise and fall. Yet their stories remain woven into the city’s fabric. As we continue our tour remember this lost church. It played a part in Milan’s religious and military history.