Santa Maria della Croce is a Roman Catholic sanctuary in Crema, Lombardy, northern Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

.

History

The church is located on the place (once outside Crema's medieval walls) where Caterina degli Uberti, a local woman, was killed by his husband on 13 February 1489. According to the legend, a few months later the site became the source of several miracles, and the commune decided to build here a sanctuary .

The work was commissioned to the Lodi architect Giovanni Battagio

Giovanni Battagio

Giovanni Battagio was an Italian sculptor and architect.A follower of Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, from 1483 he worked on Santa Maria presso San Satiro and other buildings in Milan. He designed the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Croce in Crema, and the Tempio Civico dell'Incoronata in Lodi, one of the...

, a disciple of Bramante. However, he left the works in 1500, and was replaced by Giovanni Montanaro. The sanctuary, then still being built, was damaged in the 1514 siege of the city.

In 1694 the sanctuary was given to the Discalced Carmelites

Discalced Carmelites

The Discalced Carmelites, or Barefoot Carmelites, is a Catholic mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers...

 who, in 1706, begun the construction of the annexed convent. In 1710 they also added a bell tower. They were forced to live Crema in 1810, after it has been conquered by Napoleon. In 1914 the original pavement, in cotto, was replaced by the current on in tiles. Santa Maria della Croce became a minor basilica

Minor basilica

Minor basilica is a title given to some Roman Catholic churches. By canon law no Catholic church can be honoured with the title of basilica unless by apostolic grant or from immemorial custom....

 in 1958.

In recent year, the Sanctuary was entrusted to the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, a religious community of men who live a contemplative and apostolic life and currently serve also in Milan, Rome, and Sicily.

Description

Battagio designed the church on the Latin cross plan, with a c. 35 m-tall central structure (circular externally, octagonal internally), to which four smaller units, with an height of some 15 m, are joined. The building's exterior consists of undecorated bricks.

The main unit is divided into four rows, the lower having pilasters, the second a gallery with mullioned windows, while the third has triple arches forming double mullioned windows with decorated parapet

Parapet

A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...

s. The uppermost row was modified by Montanaro from the original project, and has a small with small columns and mullions.

The side, with a tiled roof, bodies are octagonal, and house the church's main portals (western body) and two others (northern and southern), surmounted by a tympanum. The upper part of the side bodies merges with the central one's loggia. The bell tower is decorated with rustication

Rustication (architecture)

thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...

, and is divided into six levels, including the lantern

Lantern

A lantern is a portable lighting device or mounted light fixture used to illuminate broad areas. Lanterns may also be used for signaling, as 'torches', or as general light sources outdoors . Low light level varieties are used for decoration. The term "lantern" is also used more generically to...

 at the top.

The interior is on two levels. The upper ones houses the high altar, which comes from the city's cathedral

Crema Cathedral

Crema Cathedral is a church in Crema, northern Italy.A first cathedral in the town had been destroyed by Frederick Barbarossa in 1160; a new building was begun in 1185, but construction was halted in 1212 to begin again in 1284 but in Gothic style...

, and is highly decorated in lapis lazuli and bronze. The altarpiece is an Assumption by Benedetto Rusconi. The presbytery

Presbytery (architecture)

The presbytery is the name for an area in a church building which is reserved for the clergy.In the oldest church it is separated by short walls, by small columns and pilasters in the Renaissance ones; it can also be raised, being reachable by a few steps, usually with railings....

 has four statues of the Doctors of the Church, executed by Agostino de Fondulis

Agostino De Fondulis

Agostino de Fondulis was an Italian sculptor and architect active in Lombardy.He was probably born in Crema, where his family had a workshop. Later he moved to Padua....

. The side altars have a rich stucco decoration by Giovan Battista Castello (1585). The altarpieces are by Antonio Campi

Antonio Campi

Antonio Campi was an Italian painter of the Renaissance.He was born in Cremona. His style merges Lombard with Mannerist styles. In Cremona, his extended family were the main artistic produce. Giulio Campi and Antonio were reportedly half-brothers, while Vincenzo Campi was a full brother....

, Bernardino Campi

Bernardino Campi

Bernardino Campi was an Italian Renaissance painter from Reggio Emilia, who worked in Cremona. He is known as one of the teachers of Sofonisba Anguissola and of Giovanni Battista Trotti . In Cremona, his extended family were the main artistic studios...

 and Carlo Urbino.

The dome is decorated internally by the Mystic Visions of St. Therese of Avila by Giacomo Parravicino (1702).