Art, fashion and friars on the Piazza del Carmine

Situated on the Piazza del Carmine, just off the via Vetero in the historic district of Brera, the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Milan is well worth the visit.

The Church’s beautiful neo-gothic facade imagined and completed in 1880 by architect Carlo Maciachini (famous for his design of Milan’s Monumental Cemetery) is truly captivating. Its foundations date back to the late 13th century when the Carmelite Friars first settled in the region, but the current edification (besides the facade) was designed by friar and architect Bernardo da Venezia and in the late 14th century and took more than 50 years to build.

The Church of Santa Maria del Carmine was named after the religious Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel in Palestine. From time immemorial, this mountain has been considered the lush garden of Palestine and symbol of fertility and beauty. Indeed, "Karmel" means "garden" and it is deeply associated with the prophet Elijah who “defended the true faith in the God of Israel” and the Virgin Mary who lived “ in the footsteps of Jesus Christ”. 

The Piazza del Carmine’s natural charm emanates not only from its history, but from the harmonious exchange that coexist between each architectural element that composes it from Igor Mitoraj’s land art marble sculpture to the recent opening on the Square of the Swedish nonconformist fashion brand Acne Studios. The shop’s grand arched glass windows and granite floors smoothly reciprocate the Church’s pointed arches and the Square’s cobbled pavement. On the other side of it, trendy Milanese can be seen conversing away underneath large white parasols at God Save the Food, a stylish eatery facing the fascinating facade of Santa Maria del Carmine.

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