Chiesa della Madonna del Carmine

From the street, the Chiesa della Madonna del Carmine appears restrained, almost private, while its interior opens into a brighter architectural world. Inside, one nave holds oval chapels beneath a high vault. Windows in small roof cupolas pour daylight onto coloured marble and stucco, giving the upper space unusual airiness. The Italian church follows the design of Filippo Juvarra. The Carmelite community acquired the site in the early eighteenth century for the church. An arch divides the chapel groups inside the church. The main altarpiece by Claudio Francesco Beaumont shows the Madonna del Carmine with Blessed Amadeo IX of Savoy. A relic of Blessed Amadeo IX rests beneath the altar. The bell tower connects with the sacristy and contains a narrow spiral stair leading upwards. Bombing caused serious damage during the Second World War. Photographic records guided the rebuilding, and worship returned to the restored church afterward. The quiet façade still conceals the church’s strongest effect, where light animates marble, stucco, and height.