St. Maria dell'Annunziata in Abbiategrasso

Via Pontida, 1 20081 Abbiategrasso (MI)

Visits: Cultural Office of the City Abbiategrasso Phone 02 94692453 cultura@comune.abbiategrasso.mi.it -www.comune.abbiategrasso.mi.it

Restoration interventions

In 1997, the ancient and glorious fifteenth century convent of the Annunciata, lay idle and reduced to a kind of suburb of Abbiategrasso, with serious sanitary, social and conservation problems. Isolated within an urban area grown in total indifference towards this important historical building, the Franciscan monastery and the big church were on the verge of structural collapse, despite dozens of families, people illegally settled and a variety of activities occupying every single space. The public opinion, through the local press, pushed for a solution and a decisive action to stop the progressive degradation: the same year, the municipality administration, after a difficult negotiation with the owners, bought the building and started to develop a reuse project thanks to the initial fundamental contribution of Lombardy Region’s funds. The first interventions involved the cloisters and other areas in emergency situations (such as the bell tower and the church roof), but the turning point was in 2003. The signing of a Program Agreement between the Municipality of Abbiategrasso, the Region, the Province, the University of Milan and The State Land Administration opened the possibility of completing the restoration works which rescued the church spaces and its frescoes, in an environment where the historic brand of fifteenth century, the Renaissance paintings and the Baroque decorations live together in equilibrium, commemorating the rich history of the building.

By Alberto Ambrosini