Carmini

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The church of Santa Maria del Carmini, also called Santa Maria del Carmelo and commonly known simply as the Carmini, is a small church in the sestiere or neighborhood of Dorsoduro in Venice. It nestles against the former Scuola Grande di Santa Maria del Carmelo, also known as the Scuola dei Carmini. This charitable confraternity was officially founded in 1597, and arose from a lay women's charitable association, the Pinzocchere dei Carmini. The members of this lay group were associated as tertiaries to the neighboring Carmelite monastery. They were responsible for stiching the scapulars for the Carmelites.

The church originally was called Santa Maria Assunta, and first dated to the 1300s. The brick and marble facade contains sculpted lunettes by Giovanni Buora. Among the roofline decorations are images of Elisha and Elijah, thought to be founders of the Carmelite order. The Campanile built by Giuseppe Sardi is topped by a statue of the Maddona del Carmine sculpted in 1982 as a replacement by Romano Vio. The previous original was destroyed by lightlning.

The chancel and side chapels in the interior were rebuilt in 1507-14 by Sebastiano Mariani from Lugano. The counter-facade has a grandiose monument to Jacopo Foscarini who was a procurator of San Marco, admiral of the fleet, and whose family palace lies across the canal.

The second altar has an Adoration of the Shepherds (1509-11) by Giambattista Cima da Conegliano. The third altar on the right has a Madonna del Carmelo with saints (1595) by Pase Pace and Giovanni Fontana. The Staues of Virginity (left) and Humility (right (1722-1723) were completed by Antonio Corradini and Giuseppe Torritti respectively. The bronze angels on the balustrade are by Girolamo Campagna. The wooden frontal represents the Miracles of the Madonna (1724) and was carved by Francesco Bernadoni. The Tabernacle is by Giovanni Scalfarotto.

The Glorification of the Scapular (1709) was frescoed by Sebastiano Ricci on the ceiling. The stucco work was completed by Pietro Bianchini to designs of Abbondio Stazio. In the fresco, the angels uphold the scapular, and a painted inscription say it is an ornament of Mt Carmel. Past the entry to the sacristy is the altar of the guild of the Compravendi Pesce (1548) with an altarpiece of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (1541-1542) by Jacopo Tintoretto.

The third chapel on the left has a Lamentaton of the Dead Christ (c. 1476) by Francesco di Giorgio Martini. In front of the chancel are paintings by Marco Vicentino, Palma il Giovane, and Gaspare Diziani. The second altar has two staues of Elija and Elisha by Tommaso Ruer. Elijah holds a flaming sword. The first altar has a painting of Saint Nicholas of Bari in Glory between St. John the Baptist and St Lucy by Lorenzo Lotto.

The upper register of the nave is lined with 24 large canvases from the 1666-1730s, painted by artists such as Pellegrini, Diziano, Girolamo Brusaferro and Pietro Liberi. The choirs includes 3 paintings (c. 1545) by Andrea Meldolla.

[edit] References

• Manno, Antonio (2004). in The Rizzoli Art Guides: The Treasures of Venice. 300 Park avenue South, New York, NY 10010: Rizzoli International Publications, pages 532-535.