Santa Maria del Carmine

On Saturday, I traveled across the Ponte Vecchio and visited the Santa Maria del Carmine.

The Santa Maria del Carmine is very classical church known for housing some of the first actual Renaissance frescoes.

Here are a couple of grabs as I entered into the chiesa:

Upon ascending the stairs to the interior of the church, I was presented a wonderful scultpure that brought to mind The Pieta by Michelangelo:

As I stepped into the actual open area of the church, I was dwarfed by some incredible
architecture:

But to the right was the famous Brancacci Chapel:

Considered by many to be the first masterwork of the Italian Renaissance, The Brancacci Chapel was painted by Masaccio and Masolino. Although the fresco has taken heavy damage due a massive fire, much of the painting still survives. And through excessive restoration, has been able to return to some of its original form.

Here are a couple focused shots I took of the fresco, depicting the temptation and ultimate expulsion of Adam & Eve:

Here's another, depicting the crucifixion of St. Peter:

But without question most jaw-dropping aspect of the fresco was the work on the ceiling:

The dimension and sense of depth portrayed on the ceiling was just phenomenal. It seemed as if they were reaching out of their canvas, crossing the boundary between art and reality. Truly impressive stuff.

Afterward, I saw a 40 minute documentary at the church which covered the historical and critical aspects of the fresco. It was great companion piece that helped me further appreciate the context and value of the work.

Upon leaving, I grabbed a couple of unique shots of some striking pieces:

Although Santa Maria del Carmine is not as tourist heavy or recognizable as say, the D'Umoro, it remains a distinctive place that captures its ancient roots perfectly well.

Well worth visiting...