Church of Carmine

The construction of the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine is due to the presence of an image of the Virgin Mary, painted on the outer wall of the Roman Amphitheatre.

The devotion of many people of Terni over the years led to the creation of a secular association that promoted the construction of a church on the site. At first, a simple canopy was built to protect the image but the construction of a chapel followed shortly afterwards.

In 1602, thanks to the recognition by Pope Clement VIII, the Confraternity of Carmine was established and it was decided a proper church would be built. The work lasted quite a long time, ending only in 1783 with the completion of the elegant brick façade.

The venerated image was detached from the wall and placed on the high altar.
In the 17th century the dome was decorated with frescoes by Ludovico Carosi, a painter from Terni, while the nave was covered by a large Baroque oil canvas of about 150 square-metres, the work of Paolo Barla and Pietro Taloni, depicting the Madonna del Carmelo and Elijah on a chariot of fire. In the 1990s the Church underwent major renovation and it was converted to an auditorium.