Santuario dell'Incoronata a Lodi

The Sanctuary of the Incoronata in Lodi was built in 1488 by the town's inhabitants as a symbol of the spiritual and economic rebirth of the town after being hit by the plague. It was designed by Giovanni Battagio who worked at the time in Milan with Donato Bramante. Sited in the centre of the town a few steps away from the Duomo, it is one of the most celebrated buildings of the Renaissance in Lombardy. The influence of Bramante in the temple is quite apparent: externally, the octagonal body (only two sides are visible) is preceded by a 3 arch portico and an elaborate Renaissance portal. Inside, the space is harmoniously proportioned in a dramatic integration of architecture, decoration and painting. The two levels are entirely decorated in Bramantesque style. Upstairs the paintings were renovated in 1876, while downstairs the fine frescoes from the 16th c. by Callisto Piazza, Giovanni and Matteo della Chiesa, and Fulvio Piazza are still visible. The panels painted by Bergognone are exhibited in the chapel of San Paolo; they represent the Visitation, Adoration of the Magi, Presentation of Jesus in the temple, and Epiphany.