SANCTUARY OF CARMINE - LUINO

A few steps from Lake Maggiore, this Marian sanctuary is one of the most evocative places in Luino, rich in history, art and devotion

The Santuario del Carmine in Luino, just a few steps from Lake Maggiore, is one of the city's most evocative sites, rich in history, art, and devotion. Its foundation dates back to 1477, thanks to the lay friar Jacopo da Luino, later beatified. Over the centuries, the church has become a spiritual and cultural hub for the entire area.

Over time, the building underwent significant expansions: the first chapel was built in 1544, while in the second half of the 17th century, two side chapels were added, decorated according to the Lombard tradition with stucco and polychrome scagliola antependiums, a refined art born in the poorest valleys to imitate semiprecious stone inlays. The wooden confessionals and pulpit date back to the same period (1687). In 1778, the convent was suppressed due to a lack of religious, but the church always remained at the centre of popular devotion, as demonstrated by the centuries-old cult of the Madonna del Carmine, which is celebrated every year in the month of July.

Inside, the sanctuary preserves highly valuable works: the most important are the 1544 frescoes in the first chapel to the left of the entrance, depicting the Nativity, the Annunciation, and the Crucifixion, as well as medallions depicting Prophets and Saint Catherine. The organ, dated 1857, is the work of Francesco Carnisi. Outside, the gabled façade is embellished with a red sandstone portal, a true masterpiece of the early Lombard Renaissance. Decorated with candelabra, coats of arms, and festoons, it is surmounted by a lunette containing a terracotta sculptural group with the Madonna and Child, datable to around 1497.

The sanctuary underwent major restoration work between 1987 and 1990, which restored brightness to the interior and harmony to the structure, from the presbytery to the tiled roof.

Today, the Church of Carmine is not only a place of worship, but also an unmissable stop for anyone visiting Luino: an architectural and artistic jewel that preserves centuries of history, miracles, and traditions that are still alive today.