A short stroll away from the Duomo, overlooking Via Torino, you’ll find the charming church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro, an architectural gem that’s well worth a visit. Almost hidden amidst the palaces and shops, you can marvel at a masterpiece by Donato Bramante, who undertook the construction of the small church in the late 15th century. During that era, Ludovico Il Moro, the ruler of the Duchy of Milan, tasked Bramante with reconfiguring the church by incorporating the ancient sacellum of San Satiro. Remarkably, the original core of the complex dates back to the 9th century, a project initiated by Ansperto, the Bishop of Milan. An intriguing hypothesis even suggests the potential involvement of Leonardo da Vinci in the restoration efforts of the sacellum.
The church boasts an unconventional cross-shaped layout, missing an upper arm due to spatial constraints. Bramante ingeniously addressed this issue by creating a faux painted stucco choir, which remains an awe-inspiring feature to this day. To truly appreciate this play of perspective, one must traverse the church from the rear, and as you approach the altar, make your way to one of the two side aisles, coming within mere centimeters of the back wall. You’ll be astounded to realize that what appears to be a space of several meters actually possesses a depth of only 90 centimeters.
Santa Maria presso San Satiro, Via Torino, Milano
M1 (red line) – M3 (yellow line) Duomo
Open Monday-Friday 7.30am-12noon/3pm-6.30pm;
Saturday 3.30pm-7pm;
Sunday 9.30am-12noon/3.30pm-7pm
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