Medieval Church Sant'Anna in Castagnedo Crumbling in Milan, Petition Launched

The medieval church of Sant'Anna in Castagnedo in southeast Milan is collapsing, surrounded by trash and overgrown vegetation. The church, dating back to at least 1190, was originally a Benedictine convent and later used by the Umiliati order. It once housed important frescoes and a miraculous plaque of San Carlo from 1601. After WWII, urban development damaged the structure, and its frescoes were stolen by the 1960s. The association Milano Sparita, together with Municipio 4 and Fondazione Milano Policroma, has launched a petition to the Comune di Milano to save the church. The author, Massimiliano Tonelli, proposes restoring the church as a center for contemporary fresco art, with rotating artists creating works every six months, visible 24/7 via glass doors and surveillance. He criticizes the city for neglecting the site despite nearby developments like the Fondazione Prada and the Olympic Village, and suggests using concession fees from developers like Redo and Lendlease to fund restoration.