Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angioli (St. Maria of the Angels Church, c.1490) stands where the chic Via Nassa meets Riva Via Vela, an outwardly-nondescript medieval church that has occupied this prime location facing Lago di Lugano for over 500 years.
Do not let the somewhat plain exterior fool you; while it is simple stone on the outside; inside, it's dynamic. The church was built in the 15th century, with the frescoes completed around 1530 by a Lombard painter named Bernardino Luini. Relatively little about the painter's life is known. Although Luini was thought to have been a student of Leonardo da Vinci, no direct evidence of such a relationship has been found. Whether or not he was a student of da Vinci, Luini was clearly very influenced by him, as seen in his use of bright, warm colors and his delicate female figures and their use of subtle gestures and clear emotion. In fact, because many of Luini's major works were in smaller towns, and since his work resembles da Vinci's, much of his work was attributed to da Vinci for many years. Extensive research has been able to identify Luini's work and establish him as a noteworthy contemporary of da Vinci's; he is sometimes called "the Raphael of Lombardy."
Luini originally came to Lugano on commission to paint a Last Supper for the Franciscan monestery that once was attached to the church. The monestary is long-gone; its building was converted to a hotel in the 1800s. The hotel eventually closed and the building fell into disrepair; it is now being restored and converted into something different. Luini's Last Supper can still be seen hanging on the west wall of St. Maria's.
It is rather breathtaking to enter the church, and see the magnificent scene of the Crucifixtion (1529) that covers the entire wall which separates the nave and the choir. Indeed, this fresco - likely Luini's masterpiece - is one of the largest single frescos ever painted, and one of his last major works. Several smaller frescos can be seen throughout the church, included the repeated crest that looks like "yhs" in a sun motif, and the rendering of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus. My guide was extremely well-versed in knowledge of the church and she had a lot of interesting information to share about each of the artworks.
Light inside the church is dim, to help preserve the paintings, so it is ideal to go on a bright day, when light from the clerestory windows will give you the best views. If the light is not enough, however, there is a switch on the left wall near the entrance that will turn on the lights on a short timer so that you can study the frescos a bit better.
The east side of the church includes chapels dedicated to the Virgin Mary and to St. Francis of Assisi.
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For more information: Lugano Turismo, Lugano Turismo, Tel. +41 (0) 91 913 32 32 (www.lugano-tourism.ch).