Merciful glances used to welcome those who were housed inside the hospital next to the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena: you will find them in the angels sustaining the architrave and in the Mary Magdalene, portrayed inside the lunette.
The religious complex dates back to the XIV Century, when the school of the “White Disciplini” (lay people gathered in congregations and brotherhoods who used to live a life of prayer and penance) built the church and the adjacent hospital aiming to host people in need, who used to be really numerous during that time.
This institution lasted almost five centuries, undergoing several changes: nevertheless, the church and the pointed arch portal remained the same, overlooking a small yard accessible from via Sant’Alessandro.
During the XVIII Century, a colonnaded cloister was built: the overall effect is quite peculiar, because frames, balustrades and capitals are the typical elements of Renaissance style, and not the Baroque one (characteristic of that time).
The church, protected by the Department of Architectural Heritage, is currently deconsecrated and it is used to host exhibits and conferences.
Merciful glances used to welcome those who were housed inside the hospital next to the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena: you will find them in the angels sustaining the architrave and in the Mary Magdalene, portrayed inside the lunette.
The religious complex dates back to the XIV Century, when the school of the “White Disciplini” (lay people gathered in congregations and brotherhoods who used to live a life of prayer and penance) built the church and the adjacent hospital aiming to host people in need, who used to be really numerous during that time.
This institution lasted almost five centuries, undergoing several changes: nevertheless, the church and the pointed arch portal remained the same, overlooking a small yard accessible from via Sant’Alessandro.
During the XVIII Century, a colonnaded cloister was built: the overall effect is quite peculiar, because frames, balustrades and capitals are the typical elements of Renaissance style, and not the Baroque one (characteristic of that time).
The church, protected by the Department of Architectural Heritage, is currently deconsecrated and it is used to host exhibits and conferences.
