Alghero, Carmine Church

The church is located at one end of the historic center and from its privileged position it overlooks the sea, closing the popular district that houses the fishermen's warehouses.
The Carmine church was founded in 1644 by two Carmelite friars, Briòs and Brunacho, from Catalonia. Thanks to the legacies of some faithful, they obtained the opportunity to buy a building adjacent to the tower of San Giacomo and to convert it into a church; a short time later, thanks to the donation of 10000 liras by Giovanni Battista Amat, Marquis of Villarios, it was possible to buy two other buildings adjacent to the previous one, and transform everything into a large convent space, which was officially founded on December 12, 1644. The convent no longer exists today, as it was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1889.
The place chosen by the Carmelites was strategic, close to the ramparts, and allowed the complex to be clearly visible from the sea, a choice certainly not random as the Spanish navy has always been under the protection of the Virgin of Mount Carmel. Even from an economic point of view, the site had a happy position to say the least: the space in front of the church was one of the many collection points for the soldiers of the garrison responsible for defense, and among other things, it was the place where, due to its proximity to the sea where waste could be dumped, equipment for the slaughter of livestock was found, an activity that involved paying tribute to the friars.
The church is entirely made of sandstone, and has a longitudinal plan with a single nave with a rectangular apse and side chapels, three on each side.
The façade is enclosed by two pillows supported by a plinth, and ends with a tympanum surmounted by a sailing bell tower with three arches, but only two bells. Two stone pinnacles flank the tympanum, which included an obliterated rose window in the center. A staircase with an iron gate leads to a barrel-vaulted porticoed atrium, with a stone niche on the right side. It is the only church in Alghero, together with the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Valverde, equipped with a staircase and atrium with stone seats. Access to the church is through a second staircase and an original wooden portal, framed by grooved pilasters.
Inside, the only nave is barrel-vaulted and ends with a rectangular apse delimited by a veined marble balustrade. The side chapels, on the other hand, are all cross-faced. The last two chapels, on the left that of the Crucifix, and on the right that of the Madonna dels Desemparats (of the Disinherited), are delimited by a balustrade in white marble and polychrome marble respectively. This last chapel, that of the Madonna dels Desemparats, was the ancient Genoese chapel and has the stone coat of arms of the Ligurian Republic above the altar. The name of the room was changed only in 1963, when the statue of the Virgin of the Desemparats arrived in Alghero, a gift from the city of Valencia to solemnize the ties that still link Alghero to Catalonia. It was precisely on that occasion that the chapel was repaved with Valenzani tiles.

History of studies
News about the church can be found in various publications on Alghero.

Bibliography by
P. Nonis, “Churches and sanctuaries of the territory of Alghero”, in Alghero: cara de roses, Cagliari, Editrice Sarda F.lli Fossataro, 1951, pp. 360-365;
S. Colomo, Guide to Alghero and surroundings, Sassari, 1984;
E. Valsecchi, Monuments of the historic center of Alghero, Sassari, New Community, 1995; A. Ingegno, The historic center of Alghero: notes for research, Oristano, Sassari, 1996; L. Deriu, Alghero: the ancient city, Sassari, 1995;
A. Ingegno, The historic center of Alghero: notes for research, Oristano, Sassari, 1996; L. Deriu, Alghero: the ancient city, Sassari, Carlo Delfino,
2000.

How to get there
Starting from the central Piazza Sulis, walk along the Colombo bastions to the Tower of San Giacomo. On the right, take Via Cavour, and the church is immediately on the right.