San Carlo, Brugherio

The floor emphasizes the connection path between the entrance and the altar. The design, created by Antonio Teruzzi, is a stylized tree. The leaves are made with mosaic technique,[10] the trunk instead is made with pieces of marble. The tree is a thick figure of symbolic meanings: it refers to life that transcends time and space. The tree has the truck on the surface of the earth, the roots in the ground and the branches in the sky. This symbolically takes up the salvation-historical time path from the Creation to the coming of Christ, with the intent of making the entrance-altar journey as a passage from darkness to light. Teruzzi was assisted by Luigi Beretta in the collection of biblical references. Along the tree-trunk are represented the stages of the history of salvation. Each stage or day of history is marked by a stone. At the base appears a continuous line, without interruption, in dark colors and dotted with tiny bright flashes (few golden mosaic tiles). It represents the primordial chaos which preceded the Creation, when the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the abyss (in black tiles), but already the spirit (in clear tiles) hovered over the waters (Gen. . 1:29). The creation is marked by stones 7, numbered from 1 to 7 with simple marble tiles, and they are one for each day. On each of them it is represent the work of God in that day as written in Genesis. After the Creation are remembered the 10 generations Cycle from Adam to Noah and 10 generations from Noah to Abraham. Each group is made with different shades of color of the marble tiles, on which there are marked at the most salient character names from which generations are named. So we read the names of Adam, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and then David, Solomon and finally Mary and Joseph. The generations from Adam to Jesus are linked along the axis of the shaft by a continuous sinusoidal curve, similar to a spiral. The mosaic is in reddish hues. From Jacob the branches beginning to widen: 12 branches to mark his 12 children, that, after Jacob, all become owners, heirs of the promise of a land, as descents of a Messiah.[4]

The floor of Saint Charles's Church

The altar is the center church, visible from any point by the faithfuls. An overhead light emphasizes the role. For planning purposes, it is not facing east, as they would like the Christian sacred architecture dictates. With the altar, "stone" representing Christ, the perspective of the history of salvation design, shown on the floor, switches from horizontal to vertical dimension. On the front there is a tree with 12 branches: it represent the birth of the Spirit sent by Christ and distributes to the twelve Apostles and through them, to all men the legacy of the sky. Even the glass above the altar takes up the same tree symbolism.[4]

Both the tabernacle and the ambo are located in the presbytery. The tabernacle is inside a marble structure of Carrara white marble and red of France marble. Three equal and distinct elements enclosing the door of the tabernacle. The ambo, built with the same colored marbles, opens to the faithfuls as a great book from where it is possible to read the Word of God.[4]

The baptismal font, such as the flooring, was designed by the painter Antonio Teruzzi that defines it in this way: "The octagonal shape symbolizes the resurrection and evokes eternal life". It's on the left side of the church. The descendants steps that surround it are a sign of penance, because who wants to be baptized must come down to the source as Jesus went down to the Jordan River. The steps up represent the resurrection. The overhead light that illuminates it stands out the function.[4]

The stoups are located on the side of the entrance and were designed in 2001 in harmony with the other furnishings and sacred spaces. They have the octagonal shape, already present in the baptismal font, taken from the classical tradition. The materials used are: White Carrara marble for the stem and mirror stainless steel for basin.[4]

The large crucifix at the center of the apse was made of linden wood by Caspani and painted by Angela Martinelli. The statue of the Holy Virgin and Child is the work of sculptor Marco Corradini. Made in 1992 in lime wood, it is composed by twenty-eight pieces with an empty soul at the center. The same sculptor Marco Corradini, is the author of the Stations of the Cross. The large statue of the risen Christ, located above the baptismal font, was originally located at the center of the apse, where it is now instead of the large crucifix.[4]

The painting of Saint Charles can be dated roughly between the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. The analysis of the paintings of San Carlo and the Sacred Heart was conducted by Elena Sangalli. San Carlo is depicted half-length in traditional cardinal's robes, in an attitude of prayer in front of a small crucifix. The representation of the hands, foreshortened downward, suggest the major dimensions of the work, especially in the vertical direction. The drawing is abruptly interrupted in its lower edge; in the right corner you can indeed notice a hint of red drapery. The cut image may result from irreparable damage to the canvas or from a specific request of the restoration contractor. The canvas resize operation was a practice commonly used in the case of change of destination. The framework has been for a long time in the parish house of Rho before being donated to the Saint Charles Parish.

The picture of the Sacred Heart is a print (52x69 cm.). It looks damaged in some parts, especially in the corners where you can see the tear back together. The surface was protected with a considerable layer of paint which with time has assumed a yellowish hue. The dating can be between 1900 and 1930. It was donated to the parish by a private.

The painting was executed by the painter Egidio Romano Lombardi. The painter describes his work in this way: "It was realized on a board in 135x210 cm polished stucco with ancient technique, revisited with the use of acrylic pigments. The painting depicts a peaceful family scene, set to the work of the young Jesus ".

This painting was donated to the parish by the inhabitants of the nearby San Carlo Farmhouse San Cristoforo. He was in the chapel, existing until 1995, dedicated to the saint, built at the end of 1800 instead of the previous Oratory of St. Christopher.[4]

The bell tower has three bells, made by Capanni company. The one who sings the musical note "A" is the largest, it weighs 340 kg and it has as its frieze of the image of the Madonna. The other two sing "B" and "D flat", they weigh 230 and 162 kg. And are decorated respectively from the figures of Saints Ambrose and Saint Charles. They were blessed by Don Franco Perlatti October 2, 1994.[4]