Nostra Signora del Carmine e Sant'Agnese, Romanesque church in Genoa, Italy.
Nostra Signora del Carmine e Sant'Agnese is a Romanesque church in Genoa featuring three naves supported by arched pillars throughout the interior. A rectangular apse serves as the chancel, and original Gothic capitals on the pillars show the building's medieval craftsmanship.
Carmelite friars began construction in 1262 on the site of an earlier chapel, with the bishop laying the foundation stone on May 21 of that year. This marked the start of the building that stands today in central Genoa.
Medieval frescoes fill the main apse, while paintings by local artists from several centuries cover the walls. You can see how Genoese painters expressed their craft through religious scenes.
The building sits on Via Brignole de Ferrari near Via Balbi in the city center, making it easy to find as part of a walking tour. Inside, there is enough space to move through comfortably and view the columns, apse, and decorated walls without rushing.
This building retains one of the few remaining rectangular apses that typified Gothic design for mendicant orders in the 1200s. Most later churches adopted rounded or polygonal choir spaces, making this floor plan quite uncommon today.
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