If you’re wondering what to do in Milan when the traveling will be again possible, I invite you to a virtual tour!
If you find yourself in Garibaldi district for a business trip or waiting for the train, you should take initiative and explore!
You don’t want to miss out one of the best churches in Milan! Saint Anthony’s Church is only a 10 minutes’ walk.
Being one of the tallest points around, the statue of Saint Anthony on top of the bell tower will guide you to reach there.
The Saint is 5 meters tall and is holding Baby Jesus that alone measures 1.80 meters!
We will explore:
Architectural Identity - why you should visit
Charity
Architectural Identity - why you should visit
· Interior
· Art & Lateral Chapels: pray or admire
· Exterior
Interior
Architectural style: eclectic
Architects: Giovanni Muzio, Paolo Cesa Bianchi, Ugo Zanchetta
Year of opening: 1906
The large statue of Saint Anthony situated in the presbytery will probably grab your attention as you enter the church. The Saint is being portrayed beautifully, holding Baby Jesus and resting on a cloud, surrounded by 12 angels. Read more about the patron Saint here.
On the ceiling you can see wonderful paintings of 8 important episodes from the life of Saint Anthony, created by Attilio Andreoli.
Art & lateral chapels: pray or admire
The sculptor Angelo Colombo is the author of eight other statues of Franciscan saints that you can admire. Take inspiration or simply make a prayer!
6 lateral chappels in total:
RIGHT SIDE:
the Chapel of San Giuseppe;
the Chapel of San Francesco;
the Chapel of the Sacred Heart.
LEFT SIDE:
the Chapel of the Crucifix,
the Chapel of Santa Chiara (pay some attention there, because in the altar rests the Blessed Sisto Brioschi, a Franciscan who lived in the 1400’s and was a member of the Observance movement);
the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception.
Exterior
Architectural style: neobaroque (facade), liberty (Italian variant of Art Nouveau)
Right in front of the church you will see a fountain depicting one of the best known events associated with the Saint: the preaches to the fishes. It was created by the Milanese sculptor Giuseppe Maretto, who was well known by his works portraying Christian scenes since very early in his career.
Take a moment there and embrace joyfully the simplicity of the Franciscans.
The façade of the church was executed in neo-baroque style, while the bell tower is a 55 meters tall example of the liberty style.
On top of the bell tower you can find the famous statue of Saint Anthony holding Baby Jesus. The statue is made of embossed and gilded copper and authored by the sculptor Angelo Galli.
Charity
The church holds many charity events like:
• CENTER OF LISTENING (material and moral)
• MEAL PROGRAM (for the people in need)
• WARDROBE and SHOWER SERVICE
• ITALIAN SCHOOL: providing a minimum base of knowledge of Italian language for people who have recently arrived in Italy.
Don't forget to check their official website for visiting hours and updates here.
For those wishing to learn more about it, Saint Antony Center operates at no. 21 of Via Maroncelli – Phone number +39 02 2900598; e-mail: csa@fratiminori.it
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