Interior view

One of Sanmicheli’s most sophisticated and admired buildings is the Pellegrini Chapel, attached to the church of San Bernardino in Verona. The interior of the chapel was inspired by that of the Pantheon, having a radial plan with large recesses on the main axes and tabernacled niches between them. The upper storey has a balcony, perhaps intended for a choir; with its trabeated three-bay windows, it is much indebted to Bramante’s design for the dome of St Peter’s, Rome. Where the coffered dome is now lit by a lantern, there was originally a large rosette, a motif mentioned by Vitruvius in connection with circular temples.