Santa Maria del Carmine is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church in

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

, Italy known for its

altarpiece An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, ...

. It is located in the small Piazza del Carmine, along the Corso Italia.

History

The church was originally built for the

Carmelite order The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...

in 1325–1328. Both the church and the adjoining monastery was extensively transformed between the second half of the 16th century and 1612, when it was newly consecrated, and underwent further reconstructions across the centuries."Chiesa di S. Maria del Carmine", Turismo Pisa
/ref> The present simple façade was designed by Alessandro Gherardesca, in the 1830s. The interior has an organ by Andrea Ravani made in 1613, and altars with painting by

Baccio Lomi ''Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist'', Palazzo Blu, Pisa Baccio Lomi (circa 1550–1595) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance period, active mainly in town of Pisa, in the region of Tuscany (then the Republic of Florence Th ...

Aurelio Lomi Aurelio Lomi (29 February 1556 – 1622) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance and early-Baroque periods, active mainly in his native town of Pisa, Tuscany (at the time in the Republic of Florence). Biography The brother of the painters ...

Santi di Tito Santi di Tito (5 December 1536 – 25 July 1603) was one of the most influential and leading Italian painters of the proto-Baroque style – what is sometimes referred to as "Counter-Maniera" or Counter-Mannerism. Biography He was born in Sa ...

Alessandro Allori Alessandro di Cristofano di Lorenzo del Bronzino Allori (Florence, 31 May 153522 September 1607) was an Italian painter of the late Mannerist Florentine school. Biography After the death of his father in 1541, Allori was brought up and trained ...

Francesco Curradi Francesco Curradi or Currado (15 November 1570 – 1661) was an Italian painter of the style described as Counter-''Maniera'' or Counter-Mannerism, born and active in Florence. Biography Curradi was the son of a jeweller, Taddeo. He trained un ...

, and Andrea Boscoli.

The ''Pisa Altarpiece'' formerly at Santa Maria del Carmine

In February 1426 the Florentine painter

Masaccio Masaccio (, ; ; December 21, 1401 – summer 1428), born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was a Florentine artist who is regarded as the first great List of Italian painters, Italian painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaiss ...

was commissioned by Giuliano di Colino degli Scarsi da San Giusto, for the sum of 80 florins, to paint a major altarpiece for his chapel dedicated to St. Julian, known today as the ''

Pisa Altarpiece The Pisa Altarpiece () was a large multi-paneled altarpiece produced by Masaccio for the chapel of Saint Julian in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Pisa. The chapel was owned by the notary Giuliano di Colino, who commissioned the work ...

.'' It is presumed that Masaccio was assisted by Andrea di Giusto, who painted the

predella In art a predella (plural predelle) is the lowest part of an altarpiece, sometimes forming a platform or step, and the painting or sculpture along it, at the bottom of an altarpiece, sometimes with a single much larger main scene above, but oft ...

and contributed to the central panel. The work was dismantled and dispersed in the 18th century, and only eleven of about twenty original panels have been rediscovered in various collections around the world. Only one panel of the altarpiece remains in Pisa in the National Museum of San Matteo.Dunkerton, Jill and Gordon, Dillian. "The Pisa Altarpiece." In: Carl Brandon Strehlke (ed.).''The Panel Paintings of Masolino and Masaccio: The Role of Technique.'' Milan, 2002, p. 89–109. *'' Madonna and Child Enthroned'', now in

National Gallery of London The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current dire ...

. *''

Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...

'', now in

Museo di Capodimonte Museo di Capodimonte is an art museum located in the Palace of Capodimonte, a grand Bourbon palazzo in Naples, Italy designed by Giovanni Antonio Medrano. The museum is the prime repository of Neapolitan painting and decorative art, with se ...

in Naples *''

St. Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

'', now in

Museo Nazionale di San Matteo The National Museum of San Matteo in Pisa (''Museo Nazionale di San Matteo'') displays works from historic ecclesiastical buildings in the city and Province of Pisa. Collections The works span from early medieval period to the 16th century. The co ...

of Pisa *''St. Andrew'', now in

Getty Museum The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California, United States, housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa. It is operated by the J. Paul Getty Trust, the world's wealthies ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

*Seven panels now in the Gemäldegalerie,

Staatliche Museen zu Berlin The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Berlin State Museums) are a group of institutions in Berlin, Germany, comprising seventeen museums in five clusters; several research institutes; libraries; and supporting facilities. They are overseen by the ...

: **''St. Augustine'', **''St. Jerome'' ** Two ''Carmelite Saints'' **''Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist'' and ''Crucifixion of St Peter'' **''Stories of St. Julian and St. Nicholas'' **''Adoration of the Magi'' File:Pisa, chiesa del carmine, retro 02.JPG, Exterior east side File:Chiesa Santa Maria del Carmine, Pisa, interno.JPG, The interior looking east File:Masaccio, san paolo, pisa.jpg, San Paolo, National Museum of San Matteo, Pisa File:Lastra tombale di Giovanni Riccardi, 1517, cappella Riccardi.jpg, Tomb slab of Giovanni Riccardi (1517) in the former family chapel, now dedicated to the Carmelite mystic

Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, OCarm (; born ''Caterina Lucrezia de' Pazzi''; 2 April 1566 – 25 May 1607), was an Italian Carmelite nun and mystic. She has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church. Life De' Pazzi was born at Florence, Ital ...

Giovanni Antonio Sogliani, Madonna col Bambino tra i santi Pietro e Giovanni Battista.jpg, Giovanni Antonio Sogliani (1492–1544), ''Madonna and Child with John the Baptist and Saint Peter'' Santi di Tito, Assunzione della Vergine, 1579, chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine (Pisa) 02.jpg,

, ''Assumption of the Virgin'' (1579) File:Alessandro Allori, Ascensione di Gesù, 1581 (01).jpg,

, ''Ascension'' (1581) Giovanni Domenico Piastrini, La Vergine in gloria con San Giuseppe e i Santi Vittoria e Ranieri 01.jpg,

Giovanni Domenico Piastrini Giovanni Domenico Piastrini (1678–1740) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active in Tuscany and Rome. Biography He learned first skills from his father, Francesco Maria, who had painted in the Annunziata and San Lorenzo churches o ...

(1678–1740), ''The Virgin in Glory with Saints Joseph, Vittoria and Ranieri'', recently restored

References

Sources

* * {{Authority control Maria Del Carmine Roman Catholic churches completed in 1835 Buildings and structures completed in 1328 Churches completed in the 1320s 14th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy

History

The ''Pisa Altarpiece'' formerly at Santa Maria del Carmine

See also

References

Sources