The Church of Santa Maria presso San Celso was built in the 15th century on the site of another church, where the sarcophagus with the relics of Saint Celsus had previously been kept.
The building of the new church was erected specifically to house the sacred icon of the Mother of God. Initially, the authors of the project were the well-known Italian architects Gian Giacomo Dolcebuono and Giovanni Battagio. However, later the exterior appearance of the church was refined through the efforts of other masters. Among them was Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, who was also involved in the construction of the equally famous church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro. It was he who built the complex octagonal dome in this building, which was decorated with statues by Agostino de Fondulis.
A few years later, a nave was added to the Church of Santa Maria presso San Celso, and later a square portico created in the Classical style was added as well.
As for the interior of the church, first of all it is worth noting the gallery of works by artists from Venice and Lombardy, as well as paintings from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. These include, in particular, such famous canvases as Gaudenzio Ferrari's “The Baptism of Christ” and Moretto's “The Conversion of Saint Paul.”
