For many years it was believed that the design of the Church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro was by the great Donato Bramante, one of the leading representatives of Renaissance architecture. The very same man whose masterpiece is the famous St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. However, in recent years this information has been disputed. Increasingly, the architect Giovanni Antonio Amadeo is named as the author of the project, attributing to Bramante only some details of the work on the church.
The Church of Santa Maria was built in the 15th century on the site of another well-known building dedicated to San Satiro. The interior of this church is renowned for a true stroke of Bramante's genius. It is known that the church's space did not allow the builders to erect a large altar, and so the famous creator became one of the first in world architecture to use a technique that is now quite widespread. Bramante painted (!) the altar section of the church and, using the effect of optical illusion, made parishioners believe that the altar was real.
The Church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro is located in the very center of Milan, in a quiet courtyard, as if hidden between the neighboring houses. It is usually quiet here, and there are quite few people. But those who are interested in Renaissance art always include this site in their plans for walks around the city. The Church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro is considered the principal monument of the Renaissance not only in Milan, but throughout Northern Italy.
