In the north of the historic center of Milan, not far from Sforza Castle, there is the small Church of Santa Maria del Carmine. It is located on the square of the same name and in earlier times was considered a church for aristocrats: members of the Milanese nobility often found their final resting place here.
The first church on this site was founded by Carmelite monks as early as the mid-13th century. In the 15th century Bernardo da Venezia and Pietro Solari began constructing a new building on the site of the Carmelite church. The demolished nearby Visconti Castle (now Sforza Castle stands on its site) provided the workers with building materials, and the pace of construction of the new church was quite high. However, work on the church was completed only at the end of the 15th century, when the main entrance of the church and its portico took on their finished appearance. At the beginning of the 19th century, the church was rebuilt by architects Giuseppe Pestagali and Carlo Maciachini.
While walking around Milan, it is worth stopping in here at least to see two outstanding works by Fiamenghino: “The Raising of Lazarus” and “The Coronation of the Virgin.”
