Santa Maria dei Carmini

Open: 07.30-12.00/14.30-19.00. 
​Map.

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The monastic church of Santa Maria dei Carmini, which is also known as Santa Maria del Carmelo, or simply as I Carmini, dates back to the 14th century. The side porch, Romanesque in origin, is decorated with paterae from the 11th and 12th centuries. The interior of the church was modernised in the early 16th century when the present façade, thought to be the work of Sebastiano Mariani da Lugano,  was designed. The statues were carved by Giovanni Buora. 

Santa Maria dei Carmini comprises a nave, two aisles and a chancel, all vaulted in stone. The most striking aspect of the nave are the twenty-two painted and gilded wooden statues, which stand above the columns. The paintings above the statues illustrate scenes from the history of the Carmelite Order. 

The painting in the second altar in the north aisle is by Lorenzo Lotto and depicts St Nicholas in Glory with saints John the Baptist and Lucy. It was commissioned for the church in 1529 and still remains in its original stone frame. In front of the third altar is a bronze relief of the Deposition (c. 1474) by the Sienese artist Francesco Giorgio di Martini, the only example in Venice of his work. 

The second altar in the south aisle boasts a painting of the Nativity (c. 1509) by Cima da Conegliano, while the vault of the third altar (Virgin in Glory with Souls of Purgatory) is beautifully frescoed by Sebastiano Ricci. The altar belongs to the Scuola Grande dei Carmini, which stands opposite the church. The fourth altar, which belonged to the guild of the fishmongers (compravendi pesce), has a painting by Tintoretto depicting the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. Note the images of the fish and the pelican carved onto the bases of the columns. 

The church's bell-tower (campanile) began to lean shortly after it was built, in 1520, and was straightened in 1688 by the architect Giuseppe Sardi, who is interred in the church. The bell-tower is surmounted by a statue of the Virgin Mary Holding the Scapular. The scapular is a devotional item, which is made up of two small pieces of (usually rectangular) cloth (often bearing a holy image or text) held together by two cords. The scapular, which is the mark of the Carmelites, is worn under clothing with one piece of cloth placed against the chest and the second against the back. ​

Santa Maria dei Carmini

Interior of Santa Maria dei Carmini

Fresco by Sebastiano Ricci, 1708

Campanile of Santa Maria dei Carmini