San Paolo Converso, Former church in Milan, Italy
San Paolo Converso is a former baroque brick church in central Milan, now used as an art space. The interior has a single nave with a barrel-vaulted ceiling and was originally divided by a wall into two sections, one for public worship and one reserved for the nuns of the adjoining convent.
Construction began in 1549, funded by Countess Ludovica Torelli, who sold her fiefdom to pay for the church and its convent for the Angelical nuns. In the early 19th century the convent was suppressed and the building passed into secular hands.
The walls are covered with large paintings by the Campi brothers from Cremona, showing religious scenes in bold colors. Visitors today experience an unusual contrast between these old works and the contemporary art displayed in the same space.
The building is run by Fondazione Converso as an art venue and is not always open to the public. It is worth checking the current program in advance, since opening hours depend on which events or exhibitions are scheduled.
After it was deconsecrated in 1808, the building served as a warehouse and then as a concert hall before becoming an art space. Through all those changes in use, the Campi brothers' paintings stayed on the walls without ever being removed.
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