Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie

The Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Brescia comprises a Baroque basilica and an adjoining Neo-Gothic sanctuary. The complex preserves frescoes and stuccoes by local artists and a Moretto altarpiece that remains in the church for which it was painted.

Why it matters

The paired basilica and sanctuary preserve successive phases of religious architecture in Brescia. The adjoining sanctuary was rebuilt in Neo-Gothic style to a design by Antonio Tagliaferri, while the older basilica retains Baroque decoration. The church also preserves Moretto’s Madonna in Glory with Saints Rocco, Martin and Sebastian, one of his works still in its original setting.

What to notice

The façade combines Botticino and red Verona marble and includes an eighteenth-century stained-glass Nativity by Giovanni Bertini in its rose window. The basilica’s central nave has barrel vaults, while the side aisles are covered by domes. Frescoes and stuccoes by Francesco Giugno, Giovanni Mauro della Rovere and Girolamo Muziano enrich the interior. Moretto’s altarpiece remains in the end chapel; copies stand in place of other works now in the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo.

Context and history

The complex developed around a Marian sanctuary beside the older basilica. In the late nineteenth century, Antonio Tagliaferri rebuilt the sanctuary in Neo-Gothic style while the basilica retained its Baroque character. The church remains part of Brescia’s diocesan network of historic sites and was included in the 2023 Custodi della Bellezza project.