ABSTRACT
The altar is a raised structure of a Christian church, used for communions; the original simple tables give rise to more and more complicated structures involving balustrades, staircases, frontal, columns, statues and every kind of ornament. The materials employed are described according to their provenance: different polished stones (marble, alabaster, limestone, breccia, granite, etc.), semiprecious stones (jasper, agate, mother of pearl), mortars (plaster and stucco), metals and metal alloys, ivory, wood, etc. These artefacts were disciplined by the cardinal Borromeo, after the Council of Trent (1563), and they flourished in the Baroque period (17th and 18th centuries). It is impossible to describe all the altars of Milan’s churches, and in many cases it is impossible to know the names of the architects or of the skilled craftsmen and also the date of manufacture. A selection of some altars (Duomo, Santa Maria della Passione, Santa Maria dei Miracoli, Sant’Alessandro, etc.) is reported describing stones and other materials employed in each different part of the altar. Some contemporary altars were also described.
