The monumental complex of Santa Croce

The monumental complex of Santa Croce and All Saints, wanted and founded by Saint Pius V is located in Bosco Marengo. The construction of the complex was begun when the then Cardinal Ghislieri had the desire to found a Dominican convent in his native town. Once he had risen to the papal throne he decided to expand the building and move it outside the borders of Bosco Marengo. The works for the construction of this great work ended in the sixteenth century, the year in which Pope Pius V had already passed away. The facade of the Basilica is unique in its kind and is in the Tuscan-Romanesque style and has the coat of arms of Pius V at the top. Under the shield there is a semicircular window on the sides of which there are two Doric pilasters and two stone obelisks. The church has a Latin cross plan and has 5 communicating chapels on each side. The series of pillars that accompany the sides of the nave divide the chapels. Inside are the works of Vasari and a precious 16th century wooden choir carved by Marini. Very important are the chapel of the rosary and the chapel of the relics. In the chapel of the rosary there is the altarpiece painted by Cossali depicting the Virgin between saints Domenico and Caterina da Siena. In the chapel of the relics there are two works by Moncalvo: the Virgin appears to St. Hyacinth and Jesus speaks to St. Thomas Aquinas. There are two convent buildings that extend one to the north and one to the west of the church, forming a large rectangle. The convent is organized in three parts: the covered spaces, the small cloister and the large cloister.