Sanctuary of San Girolamo Emiliani, Italy

The Church of San Bartolomeo

The Sanctuary of San Girolamo Emiliani stands on the site of the ancient Church of San Bartolomeo, a manor church originally officiated by a paid chaplain from the Benaglio and Ondei families. In 1566, Cardinal Carlo Borromeo visited the Valle San Martino and Somasca. At that time, the church, already consecrated, was small and modest, with a central altar and a baptismal font, as well as two side altars. The altar on the right was dedicated to the Pietà, while the one on the left honored the Blessed Virgin Mary. The church contained a wooden tabernacle that housed the pyx. The entrance featured a lunette, with doors and windows on each side of the building. The presbytery was supported by an arch and pillars, topped with an iron cross, while the facade was flanked by two pillars, each supporting a bell. Behind the church was a small cemetery, which remained in use until 1815.

The Sanctuary of San Girolamo Emiliani

With the arrival of Saint Girolamo Emiliani, the regular clerics of Somasca made the Church of San Bartolomeo their headquarters. They established an orphanage, a school, and a seminary on the site. In 1566, following the pastoral visit of Cardinal Borromeo, the parish of Somasca was founded, separating it from the neighboring parish of Calolzio. In 1589, the Benaglio and Ondei families renounced their rights over the church and donated it to the Somaschi Fathers, making it an official property of the congregation by 1592.

Upon taking ownership, the Somaschi Fathers placed the body of Saint Girolamo Emiliani inside the church and began restoration work on the building. Notably, the bell tower was completed in 1615, and the pipe organ was installed in 1620. In 1626, Girolamo Emiliani was declared the patron saint of Somasca and the surrounding municipalities. His body was transferred to a crypt adorned with gold, and the church was lengthened to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims. A dedicated chapel was built to honor Saint Girolamo Emiliani. Following his beatification in 1641, his body was placed in a crypt and closed with a black tombstone. In 1747, Pope Benedict XIV beatified the saint, and in 1751, the church underwent further enhancements: the bells increased from two to five, the organ was renovated, and the chapel dedicated to Saint Girolamo Emiliani was rebuilt and consecrated on February 8, 1757.

As pilgrimages to the site grew in popularity, a staircase was built in 1761 to make the basilica more accessible. On May 13, 1766, Pope Clement XIII recognized two miracles attributed to Saint Girolamo Emiliani, leading to his canonization on October 12, 1767. His feast day was set for July 20, though the Somaschi continued to celebrate it on February 8, the day of his death. In 1778, the bell tower was raised to accommodate the enlarged church, and the remaining three bells were replaced. In the wake of the formation of the Cisalpine Republic in 1798, the Somaschi order was suppressed but was reconstituted in 1804. Between 1823 and 1850, the organ underwent several repairs before being replaced entirely in 1857 by Giuseppe Alchisio. In 1826, the first reports of a feast for Saint Girolamo Emiliani with banquets and fireworks near the Castle of the Innominato appeared. In 1828, the parishioners of Somasca petitioned to switch to the Roman Rite, though their request was denied by the Bishop of Bergamo, Pietro Mola.

The 1892 and 1967 Restorations

In 1892, a project to reconstruct the church, presented by Don Antonio Piccinelli, was approved. Work began in May of that year, and on September 15, 1893, Pope Leo XIII officially conferred the title of co-patron of Somasca to Saint Girolamo Emiliani. During the renovation, the appearance of the church was greatly changed. The steps leading to the church were altered, and six niches were created, each painted by Antonio Sibella to depict significant moments from the life of the saint. The vault and choir were frescoed by Luigi Galizzi, who also painted the fresco of the Baptism of Jesus in the baptistery. The facade was demolished, and while digging for the new foundations, numerous tombs belonging to the Somascan Fathers from the 17th century were discovered. The pronaos was preserved, and the church was lengthened, with the floor lowered by 40 cm. The new church was consecrated on October 14, 1893, and the celebrations that followed lasted three days.

In 1959, Pope John XXIII issued an apostolic brief to elevate the sanctuary to the status of a minor basilica, a process that was finalized on February 5, 1959. Following this, the basilica underwent further adjustments. In 1962, the Chapel of San Girolamo was restored, and the following year, the staircase was redone, while the Sibella aedicules were demolished. In 1967, the church underwent its last major transformation under the guidance of engineer Emilio Tenca. The chapels dedicated to San Girolamo Emiliani and the Madonna del Rosario were incorporated into the church, which was enlarged to include two side naves. A fourth arch was added to the pronaos, and in 1982, a fifth arch and additional arches were added to the right and left corners of the church, further altering its structure.