Sant'Alessandro in Zebedia is a parish church in Milan, Italy. It is a distinctive example of the early Lombard Baroque."Sant'Alessandro in Zebedia", Religiana
History The original church was built in the 5th century, on the ruins of the Pretorium which tradition holds was the prison that held the martyred Sant'Alessandro.""Chiesa di Sant Alessandro in Zebedia", Museo Italia The name in Zebedia derives from the name of the prison in which the martyr was imprisoned."Chiesa di Sant Alessandro in Zebedia", SettembreMusica
Its construction for the Barnabite order began in 1601 to a design by Lorenzo Binago.Wittkower, Rudolf (1993). Pelican History of Art: Art and Architecture Italy, 1600-1750. Penguin Books Ltd. pp. 118–119 Francesco Maria Richini also contributed to the project. The first church of Sant Alessandro was demolished, along with the nearby San Pancrazio. The first stone of the church was laid on 30 March 1602 by Cardinal Federico Borromeo.
It comprises a principal building on the Greek cross plan with a central dome, and a separate presbytery which also has a dome. By early 1627, the center dome had developed deep cracks and was demolished. Architect Fabio Mangone was brought in as a consultant. Richini redesigned the dome, and carried out Mangone's recommendations.Giustina, Irene;Tomasoni, Elide and Giuriani, Ezio. "The Early Dome of Sant’Alessandro in Milan (1627): a First Study of the Behaviour of the Structural Core with a Dome Resting on Four Free-Standing Pillars", University of Cambridge
The façade, with decorations in bas-relief, has two campaniles.
The interior includes works by important artists including Camillo Procaccini (an Assumption, a Nativity and a Crucifixion) and Daniele Crespi (a Flagellation). There is also an altarpiece in the first chapel on the right by Ossana.Portal del Turismo della Città di Milano. Entry on the church.
See also 17th-century Western domes
Notes