Churches, City, Community. Ambrosian Parish Complexes

Abstract

This contribution is part of research on the relationship between cities, communities and buildings for worship, with particular reference to the parish complexes in the contemporary city. The approach adopted considers the object of study as a complex built-up system integrated with the neighborhood, where the relationship between the place of worship and the adjoining spaces is crucial for its understanding and transformation. The reflection – multidisciplinary in nature – is divided into three main elements. First, it examines the identity of the parish complexes and the role of the parish in the contemporary city, within historiographical, pastoral and urban references. Secondly, the architectural features of these complexes are mentioned, which consolidated in the second half of the twentieth century. Finally, the paper presents the results of research on the Milanese parish system, conducted through multi-scalar and multidisciplinary analysis and supported by multi-criterial cartographic tools and matrices, aimed at outlining the urban, social, functional, morphotypological, and architectural implications of the parish in the city. The contribution proposes an organic reflection on the role of the parish complexes in the city, exemplified by the Ambrosian system, but extendable to the entire parish and its peculiar architectures.