Chiesa parrocchiale dei Santi Cosma e Damiano

“Did they really tear down a church for a theater?” someone whispered. They might be surprised to learn about the Chiesa parrocchiale dei Santi Cosma e Damiano. This church, once a vibrant part of Milan, met an unexpected end. The Chiesa parrocchiale dei Santi Cosma e Damiano already existed in the 9th century. It stood humbly beside a small hospital known as the “hospital of the Romans.” The earliest records referred to it as the “church of Saints Cosmas and Damian of the Romans.” By the 14th century, the Chiesa parrocchiale dei Santi Cosma e Damiano had grown into a bustling parish church. However, time and neglect took their toll. By the 16th century, the church was in dire need of repair. A significant renovation began in 1660. The project saw the church nearly entirely rebuilt and expanded. But fate had other plans for the Chiesa parrocchiale dei Santi Cosma e Damiano. The year 1796 marked a turning point. The church was deconsecrated and its hallowed halls repurposed. It became the meeting place for the Council of Seniors, the senate of the Cisalpine Republic. Just two years later, the building transitioned again. This time, it was granted to the “Società del Teatro Patriottico.” This society would transform the former church into the Teatro dei Filodrammatici. The theater’s inauguration in 1800 sealed the fate of the Chiesa parrocchiale dei Santi Cosma e Damiano. And so, a place of worship became a stage for the arts.