BINAGO, Lorenzo
(b. 1554, Milano, d. 1629, Milano)

Exterior view

begun 1601
Photo
Sant'Alessandro in Zebedia, Milan

The work Sant'Alessandro began in 1601 on the ruins of an old church and following the design by Binago who was inspired by the models of Bramante and Michelangelo for Saint Peter's in Rome.

Binago's central structure is formed by a Greek cross inserted in a square on which a dome emerges. The entire form is contrasted with a longitudinal segment carrying the main altar and the apse. The most important feature of the design: the arches of the crossing rest on free-standing columns. This motif had a considerable following in Italy and abroad.

After the death of Binago works were continued by Francesco Maria Ricchini, while the crypt below the choir and the top of the façade was completed only in the eighteenth century.

View the ground plan of Sant'Alessandro in Zebedia, Milan.