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Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Penitenti

Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Penitenti

Venezia, IT

The church of Santa Maria delle Penitenti was built in 1706. The purpose of the ecclesiastical complex and the Ospizio di Santa Maria delle Penitenti attached to it was to house former prostitutes and other women who had given rise to public scandal and were in need of help, employing them in "honest work". Around 1725, the construction of the pious place began in its present form, based on a project drawn up by Giorgio Massari, who also directed the construction. The reference model was that of the church of the Zitelle on the Giudecca.

Chiesa di Santa Maria di Bellavista

Chiesa di Santa Maria di Bellavista

Napoli, IT

The church of Santa Maria Assunta di Costantinopoli di Bellavista is a small church erected in 1860 by the noble Capece Minutolo family. It was decorated with an 18th-century organ, wooden statues and works of the Caravaggio school. It was elevated to the rank of parish church in 1932 and was entrusted first to the Order of Malta and then to the Vocationist Fathers, who still manage it today.

Chiesa di Santa Maria di Castello

Chiesa di Santa Maria di Castello

Genoa, IT

Built in the 13th century, the church of Santa Maria di Castello is one of the oldest places of Christian worship in Genoa and bears witness to the Romanesque style that once prevailed in the city.

Chiesa di Santa Maria di Gesù

Chiesa di Santa Maria di Gesù

Alcamo, IT

The church of Santa Maria di Gesù was, according to some sources, founded around 1450 by Arcangelo da Calatafimi. Initially, the church was located outside the city walls, in the open countryside. Around 1500, the church gave its name to a gate in the defensive walls of the city, known as "Porta di Gesù". In 1507 the church was renovated and enlarged, and again between 1762 and 1776. In 1920, the church, formerly attached to a convent, became an independent parish. The convent was renovated in 1960, followed by another renovation in 1984.

Chiesa di Santa Maria di Loreto

Chiesa di Santa Maria di Loreto

Forio, IT

The church of Santa Maria di Loreto has existed since the 14th century when there was a small oratory dedicated to Santa Maria di Loreto. This structure was enlarged over the years, the bell tower and the clock being added in 1731 and, towards the end of the 18th century, the high altar and the interior decoration in sumptuous black and white Genoese marble were completed.

Chiesa di Santa Maria di Loreto

Chiesa di Santa Maria di Loreto

Roma, IT

The church of Santa Maria di Loreto is a Renaissance church built between 1507 and 1585 to the octagonal plan of Antonio da Sangallo the Younger. The dome and lantern were completed by Jacopo Del Duca 75 years later. The church is built on the site of a former 15th-century chapel, which contained an icon of the Virgin of Loreto; the present church has retained the icon and taken its name.

Chiesa di Santa Maria di Nazareth

Chiesa di Santa Maria di Nazareth

Venezia, IT

The Church of Santa Maria di Nazareth, or Church of the Scalzi, is an early 18th-century religious building designed by Baldassarre Longhena but with a façade by Giuseppe Sardi. The church underwent a major restoration between 1853 and 1862 by the Austrian government.

Chiesa di Santa Maria Formosa

Chiesa di Santa Maria Formosa

Venezia, IT

The church of Santa Maria Formosa was built in 1492 according to the plans of the architect Mauro Codussi. It stands on the site of an ancient church dating back to the 7th century, which, according to tradition, was one of eight founded by San Magno, Bishop of Oderzo. The two facades were commissioned in 1542: one in Baroque style, overlooking the square next to the church, the other in Renaissance style, overlooking the canal.

Chiesa di Santa Maria in Aquiro

Chiesa di Santa Maria in Aquiro

Roma, IT

The first mention of the church of Santa Maria in Aquiro dates back to its restoration by Pope Gregory III (731-741). In the 16th century, it was entrusted to the Confraternity of Orphans and was rebuilt in Renaissance style and enlarged around 1590 by Cardinal Anton Maria Salviati. The façade was completed in 1774 by Pietro Camporese. Between 1861 and 1866 the church was completely restored by the architect Gaetano Morichini.

Chiesa di Santa Maria in Castello

Chiesa di Santa Maria in Castello

Carpi, IT

The church of Santa Maria in Castello, also known as La Sagra, is the oldest church in the town of Carpi, having been erected in 752. However, the present building is a Romanesque church consecrated in 1184, built on the earlier Lombard foundations. The Renaissance façade was designed by Baldassarre Peruzzi and built in 1515. The demolition of some bays of the nave, which reduced the original length of the building, and the construction of a barrel-vaulted roof, removed between 1886 and 1887 by the engineer Achille Sammarini. The imposing bell tower, 49.50 metres high, is remarkable.

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