Description of the attraction
The Tempio Civico della Beata Vergine Incoronata church, located in the small town of Lodi, is considered one of the main masterpieces of Lombard Renaissance art. It was designed in 1488 by Giovanni Battaglio, a student of Bramante, with the later participation of architects Gian Giacomo Dolcebuono and Giovanni Antonio Amadeo. And it was built at the expense of the commune of Lodi, from where the word "chiviko" - urban, appeared in its name. It is interesting that earlier on the site of the church there was … a brothel.
Tempio Civico della Beata Vergine Incoronata stands near Piazza della Vittoria, Lodi's main square. It has an octagonal shape and is crowned with a dome of the same shape with a lantern at the very top. From the outside, along the entire perimeter of the vestibule of the dome, there is a balustrade with small columns and turrets. The bell tower of the church was built in 1503, and the facade was completed only in 1879 under the direction of the architect Alfonsino Truzzi.
The interior decoration of Tempio Civico is remarkable for its luxurious gold decorations. In the upper part there are arched empores (galleries) with blue and gold columns. It also houses an impressive collection of works of art from the late 15th - early 19th centuries - the authorship of the works belongs to the most prominent masters of Lodi. In particular, in the church you can see four works by Bergognone, including "Annunciation" and "Introduction to the Temple", a polyptych by Martino and Albertino Piazza, as well as works by Callisto Piazza and Stefano Maria Legnani. Next to the church is the Inkoronata Treasure Museum.
