San Vittore al Corpo, Milan

Monastery and church of San Vittore al Corpo
Church of San Vittore al Corpo
General information
Town or city	Milan
Country	Italy

The church and monastery of San Vittore al Corpo were an ancient monastery of the Olivetan order built in the early 16th century. The site once had a 4th-century basilica and mausoleum that once held the burials of the emperors Gratian and Valentinian III. The basilica was enlarged in the 8th century to house the relics of the saints Vittore and Satiro. A Benedictine monastery soon was attached to the church. In 1507, the monastery was transferred to the Olivetans, who began a major reconstruction.

During the Napoleonic wars, the site became a military hospital, and afterwards became barracks. It suffered damage during the bombardments of 1943. The monastery now houses a museum of science. Reconstruction of the church was begun in 1533 by Vincenzo Seregni, and completed in 1568 by Pellegrino Tibaldi. La façade remains incomplete. The dome was frescoed in 1617 by Guglielmo Caccia (called "il Moncalvo"). In the chapel of St Anthony is a 1619 canvas by Daniele Crespi (Death of St Paul the hermit). In the transept on the left, is an early 17th century cycle of canvases of the Stories of San Benedetto, by Ambrogio Figino while the right transept has an altarpiece by Camillo Procaccini. Other chapels have paintings by Pompeo Batoni and Giovanni Battista Discepoli.

Bibliography

• D. Caporusso & A. Ceresa Mori, C'era una volta Mediolanum, in Archeo (attualità dal passato) of settembre 2010, n. 307.
• Marco Bona Castellotti, Giovan Battista Discepoli, ad vocem, in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, volume 40, Roma 1991.
• Silvia Lusuardi Siena, Milano (Mediolanum): Il recinto di S.Vittore al Corpo, in Catalogo della Mostra "Milano capitale dell'Impero romani (286-402 d.C.)", a cura di Gemma Sena Chiesa, Milano 1990.
• Agnoldomenico Pica, Piero Portaluppi, La Basilica Porziana di San Vittore al Corpo, Milano 1934