Sanctuary of the Madonna del Carmine
The monumental, 16th-century complex is located in Valtiberina
The Sactuary of the Madonna del Carmine is located near Anghiari, in the hamlet of Combarbio. The building was erected by the architect Giovan Battista Camerini from Bibbiena following the apparition of the Virgin Mary to a young shepherdess in July 1536.
The imposing sanctuary stands out for its soaring Latin-cross plan. Inside the church, at the center of the stone high altar decorated with a 17th-century fresco is a priceless panel painting from the Florentine school of the Madonna and Child with a Young St. John the Baptist dating to the 16th century. This painting is placed inside a wooden tabernacle that’s enriched with gilded intaglio carvings and two Baroque putti on the sides.
The Order of the Friars Minor occupied the sanctuary until the 1700s, followed by the Carmelites and, lastly, the Camaldolese, even if they were only there for a short while.
