Liturgia e architettura nel Carmelo riformato. Archetipi, miti, modelli

Abstract

Original typological models and special liturgical requirements, related to the new orientation of the contemplative Discalced Carmelites, determined the birth of meticulous architectural standards and, therefore, an autonomous and original architectural production in the religious context of post-Tridentine Europe. The conventual prototypes developed in the early period of the order were quickly updated in the early 17th century under the influence of various factors: the spatial evolution of Baroque churches, contemporary figurative suggestions, symbolic susinctness, and objects of persuasion. In many buildings, unusual features began to appear in the 17th and 18th centuries, such as central planes, stage design machinery for the altars, and symbolic references. There are two emblematic examples of these features: the great seaport of Ancona with its round church, subject to Adriatic and Venetian influences, and the structure of the Hermitage of the Desert Sanctuary of Monte Virginio, with its numerous semantic references to Jerusalemite or proto-Christian archetypes.