Exterior view

The construction of the pilgrimage church of Santa Maria della Consolazione at Todi was begun in 1508. The church was long thought to have been based on a model by Bramante himself, although the only architect’s name recorded is that of the otherwise obscure Cola da Caprarola. Four apses roofed by semi-domes radiate from a central square. The delicacy of the window frames, entablatures, and corner pilasters contrasts with the broad wall surfaces to create an effect of fragility and lightness unique among the centrally planned churches of the Renaissance.

The church was not completed until the following century, and the entrance, balustrade, and dome show Roman taste of a later era.