Milan
Peculiar enclosure and church
This was founded in the early 19th century as a cemetery for the hospital named "Ospedale Maggiore" or "Ca' Granda". The unusual building consists of a perimeter wall with, at the centre, a church, now no longer used for religious functions, dedicated to Saint Michael, with plan in the form of a Greek cross. In 1725 another wall was built, creating a plan including large lobate structures. In 1870 a smallpox epidemic broke out and 5,000 people with the disease were isolated here. In 1940, it became a wash-house for the hospital.
Today it is an open-air garden, a play area for children, while in summer it is used for open-air cinema projections: the ex-church is used for temporary shows and congresses.
Admission: free of charge.
| Neighborhood: | Downtown |
| Address: | Via Besana, 12 |
| Milan, 20122 |