Interior view

The pilgrimage church of Santa Maria presso San Satiro in Milan is the first major work built by Bramante. Although a small chapel to house a miracle-working image of the Virgin was begun as early as 1478, Bramante’s involvement is not documented until 1482, about when the chapel, parts of which can still be seen at the crossing when viewed from the Via del Falcone, was transformed into the present structure. Despite the building’s unusual shape, the design was probably conceived as a whole.

The church, attached to the small, round, 9th-century church of San Satiro (the exterior of which was refaced), is planned as a conventional Latin cross with aisled nave, domed crossing and three-bay transepts. Two doors lead into the transepts from Via del Falcone to regulate the throngs of pilgrims.

At the intersection of the right transept and the nave is Bramante’s remarkable octagonal sacristy, the interior view of which is shown on the photo. Apart from the octagonal sacristies at Loreto, its most immediate model is local: the chapel of Sant’Aquilino attached to the Early Christian church of San Lorenzo, Milan, both of which were then believed to be antique. The lower storey of the interior of Bramante’s sacristy has eight large niches that are alternately curved and rectangular, folded ornamental pilasters in the corners with exquisitely wrought stone Corinthian capitals, and an entablature with all’antica heads and reliefs in the tall frieze executed by Agostino Fonduli. A second storey is encircled by a gallery with two arched openings on each side; the lighting is from the vault above.

View the diagonal section of the sacristy.