Tag: San Giacomo in Vicenza

The Church of Santa Croce in San Giacomo Maggiore, also known as the Church of the Carmelites (Chiesa dei Carmini) is a church in Vicenza, located in Piazza dei Carmini, near the end of Corso Antonio Fogazzaro.   SHORT HISTORY In 1372, while the Scaligeri were enclosing the village of Porta Nova within the new western walls of Vicenza, the bishop Giovanni de Surdis started to build a new church in the center of the area, dedicated at first to San Giacomo Apostolo (Saint James the Apostle), and later to San Giacomo Maggiore (Saint James the Great). Around the same time, the bishop entrusted the religious building to the Carmelite friars, and the church was commonly called Santa Maria dei Carmini (Saint Mary of Carmel). To adapt to the needs of the developing village, the church was completely rebuilt in Gothic style, with three naves, between 1420 and 1425. Between 1720 and 1730, the church was restored again and brought back to a single nave. The Carmelites remained in the convent until 1806, when, after the Napoleonic decree suppressing the religious orders, they were expelled from Vicenza. The parish was merged with the neighboring one of Santa Croce. In the Read more [...]