Chiesa del Carmine

Located outside the walls of Martina Franca, on a terrace overlooking the panorama of the Valle d’Itria, the Chiesa del Carmine was built in 1727 at the behest of Frate Carbotti.\n\nThe structure is rhythmically marked by curvilinear pediments that add movement to the facade, enriched by exuberant baroque decorations. Defined by pilasters and a window-balcony with a balustrade, the facade culminates in a polygonal pediment bearing the symbol of the Carmelites.\n\nSurmounted by a clay mandorla depicting the Madonna del Carmine, the portal leads to the church’s interior, laid out in the Latin cross plan with a single nave. Spectacular is the decoration commissioned in the 1800s by the Padri Liguorini, featuring plaster and stucco that simulate polychrome marble.\n\nAlso worth admiring are the large painting by Pietro Cataldo De Mauro on the main altar, a statue of Santa Maria della Misericordia attributed to Stefano da Putignano, and a wooden Crucifix from the 1500s.