Description of the attraction
The Monastery of Monte Carmelo is a religious complex located on a hill on the coast of the Ligurian Sea in the town of Loano. It is a national monument in Italy.
The monastery was founded in 1602 by Gian Andrea Doria, and after his death passed to his son, Andrea Doria II. In 1810, during the reign of Napoleon, Monte Carmelo, like other religious institutions, was abolished and restored only in 1833. The next closure of the monastery took place in 1855-66 - this time at the behest of the rulers of the Savoy dynasty. In 1874, the descendants of the Doria family bought the religious complex and transferred it to the ownership of the Carmelite monks.
In the center of the monastery complex there is a church in the form of a Latin cross with a dome and a bell tower with a belfry. Inside you can see semicircular vaults and marble altars - the main altar and side ones. The interior is practically devoid of decorations - there are only a few canvases from the beginning of the 17th century, a wooden sculptural composition from the same period and a crucifix from the 15th century. Next to the church is the monastery itself, with a cloister and a spacious vegetable garden behind the building where medicinal plants are grown. A little to the side is the summer residence of the Doria family with a defensive tower. The church opens onto a square with beautiful views of Loano and the sea.
