Church of Sant’Angela Merici
Church of Sant’Angela MericiVia Francesco Crispi, 21 - Brescia BSwww.angelamerici.org
Built in the 16th century on the site of an ancient Christian cemetery, the church of Saint Angela Merici is a little slice of Brescian history. It was once called Sant'Afra and San Faustino ad Sanguinem. Today it houses the relics of the city's martyrs and the body of Saint Angela.
During the Second World War it was almost razed to the ground. But Brescia refused to give in to despair: the church was rebuilt on its ruins, stone by stone, preserving everything that was still standing.
Inside are works of art saved from the bombs, and outside a convent with three historical cloisters that now houses the Centro Mericiano.
It isn’t just a church. It’s a symbol for those seeking faith, remembrance and strength.
SANT’ANGELA MERICI. TWO LEVELS, MANY STORIES.
Located in Via Crispi, where the cemetery of the Christian martyrs once stood, the church was rebuilt in the 16th century with a double-level structure: one above the other.
During the Second World War it was almost destroyed, but Brescia brought it back to life, as it was and where it was. The foundations are ancient, the spirit even more so.
Today it houses the relics of martyrs and the body of Saint Angela Merici, who founded the Order of St Ursula. It’s the spiritual heart of the city.
THE WORKS: LARGE FRESCOES THAT CHRONICLE THE POWER OF ART
Although the original frescoes and altars were lost, the paintings were saved. Today the church houses a precious body of works by great masters of the 16th and 17th centuries from northern Italy, such as Tintoretto, Palma il Giovane, Barocci and Cossali.
Notable pieces include the Transfiguration by Tintoretto on the high altar, the Baptism of St Afra by Bassano, and The Martyrs of Brescia by Palma il Giovane, chronicling centuries of faith with the power of art.
In the heart of the church, the oldest roots also endure: the early Christian sarcophagi and the Martyrs' Well, which holds the remains of those who chose to believe to the end.
Next door, the convent, now home to the Centro Mericiano, retains three cloisters that survived the bombardments, silent witnesses of a history that continues.