Santa Maria la Rossa Church, Roman Catholic church in Milan, Italy.
Santa Maria la Rossa is a single-nave Romanesque church of exposed red brick, set about three metres below street level along the Naviglio Pavese. Its gabled facade has a portal and a single round-arched window, with a small bell frame on top in place of the unfinished bell tower. Inside, a timber roof of exposed beams covers the hall, and a recessed brick arch encloses the apse.
The church site contains remains from the Roman Imperial period, with written records first mentioning a basilica in the 10th century. The current building was constructed later when the medieval structure was redesigned according to contemporary architectural ideas.
The name evolved from Santa Maria ad Fonticulum or di Fonteggio, after the locality Fontegium, to "Ruffa" and then "Rossa"; in 1455 the wedding procession of Tristano Sforza and Beatrice d'Este stopped at "S. Maria Ruffa". The church gives its name to the Chiesa Rossa district, and since 2008 it has hosted a Franciscan fraternity.
The church is located at via Neera 24 and welcomes visitors during religious services and public hours. Visitors planning to photograph or spend time exploring should check ahead about scheduled services that might affect access.
The name "la Rossa" is documented in 1455, when the wedding procession of Tristano Sforza and Beatrice d'Este stopped at "S. Maria Ruffa", later contracted to Rossa. The church sits about three metres below street level, a result of the Naviglio Pavese enlargement works of 1783, and is reached through a porticoed entrance from via Chiesa Rossa.
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