Chiesa parrocchiale di Sant’Antonino Martire

Did the Chiesa parrocchiale di Sant’Antonino Martire always stand so grandly in Nova Milanese? The church we see today, with its neoclassical grandeur, whispers tales of centuries past. Its story begins humbly in 1289. A modest structure, merely 13 meters long and 6 meters wide. It was first mentioned in the Liber Notitiæ Sanctorum. The Chiesa parrocchiale di Sant’Antonino Martire gained its first parish priest, Don Giovanni Vismara, in 1576. This followed a decree by San Carlo Borromeo. Cardinal Federico Borromeo spurred a significant expansion around 1604. The church stretched further in 1751. By 1842, the Chiesa parrocchiale di Sant’Antonino Martire underwent a major transformation. Pogliani’s design broadened it into a three-nave structure. This encompassed the old cemetery. Statues of the Madonna and Antonino di Piacenza found a new home within. The grand inauguration was celebrated in 1847. In 1921, engineer Barboglio from Bergamo spearheaded another restoration of the Chiesa parrocchiale di Sant’Antonino Martire. Two new arches extended the front. The facade was rebuilt and elongated. A transept with a lowered dome and a small cupola was added. Chapels dedicated to the Fallen and the Blessed Virgin marked its ends. These additions created a more balanced structure. Inside, the Chiesa parrocchiale di Sant’Antonino Martire bloomed with color. Don Mezzera commissioned Turin-based painter Luigi Morgari in 1923. Morgari dedicated nearly a decade to adorning the church with frescoes. The bishop of Lodi, Monsignor Ludovico Antomelli, consecrated the transformed Chiesa parrocchiale di Sant’Antonino Martire in 1925. Morgari completed fifteen paintings of the Mysteries of the Rosary within the Blessed Virgin’s chapel that year. The following year, he crafted the Stations of the Cross on copper. These were later restored by Vittorio Viviani in 1965. Between 1927 and 1929, Morgari designed three grand stained-glass windows. These grace the entrance, the altar of the Blessed Virgin, and Sant’Antonino’s altar. The Bauzano ed Arienti firm from Milan brought his designs to life. In 1933, Morgari began designing thirteen smaller stained-glass windows. This was shortly before his passing. Cesare Secchi of Milan added frescoes and stained glass to the apse after the 1935-1936 expansion. Today, the Chiesa parrocchiale di Sant’Antonino Martire houses a collection of eleven oil paintings. These date from the late 16th to the early 20th centuries, with only six currently displayed. Osvaldo Bignami’s “Joseph Comforts the Suffering” and “Jesus Consoler” (1897-1900) adorn the beginnings of the side aisles. Abbondio Bagutti’s “San Carlo Borromeo” (1817) graces the left side of the Lourdes grotto. Anonymous Lombard painters from the 17th century contributed other works. One notable piece, “Virgin and Child with Saint Catherine,” hangs above the sacristy entrance. “Delivery of the Keys to Saint Peter” is kept in the parish archive. “Virgin and Child with the Magi,” possibly the oldest, hangs opposite the sacristy entrance. The Chiesa parrocchiale di Sant’Antonino Martire also boasts a rich history of bells.