Basilica of Santa Maria alla Scala in San Fedele, Milan (interior)

San Fedele, one of the monumental centers of St. Charles’ Milan, was built for the Society of Jesus starting in 1569. Its most prominent architect was Pellegrino Tibaldi, who succeeded Martino Bassi, and was probably followed by Aurelio Trezzi and, in 1633, Francesco Richini. Tibaldi, designing a single wide nave, took into account the specific needs of the new Order and, by creating a building of remarkable monumentality relative to the modest size of the plot, achieved the architectural splendor desired by Borromeo. From the nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, the church underwent repeated maintenance and decorative interventions. After the bombings of 1943, which destroyed the old Professa House—later returned to the Jesuits and entirely rebuilt—the church was restored. The façade is made of Angera stone with elements of Saltrio stone, while on the northern side there are also large mirrors in plaster and decorative concrete. The stone elements are now in an advanced state of deterioration, also due to the restorative interventions carried out during the last century.