3 – CHURCH OF SUFFRAGE (ENG)

In the historic center of Carrara stands the Church of Suffrage, also known as the “Church of Purgatory.” Construction began in 1688, based on a design attributed to Innocenzo Bergamini, and was later modified in the 19th century. The sacred building follows a Baroque architectural style following the design principles established by the Council of Trent. Featuring a single nave, it’s the only church in the city with a Latin cross layout and a central dome with a lantern. This lantern, clad in slate shingles, gathers and redistributes light all around, rising above the stunning landscape of the Apuan Alps.

The simple masonry façade features a richly decorated marble portal from the workshop of Carlo Finelli, a sculptor from Carrara. The reliefs depict the liberation of souls from Purgatory through the intercession of the Virgin Mary.

The portal showcases the Baroque tendency toward dramatization and exaltation of forms, evident in the extensive use of various types of marble — particularly deep white, fior di pesco, breccia Medicea, and portoro — creating a strikingly scenic effect.

The high altar, simple yet adorned with polychrome marbles, houses an oil-painted altarpiece depicting the Madonna of Suffrage. Though the artist remains unknown, the work is of significant artistic value.

Closed and unused for much of the last century, the Church of Suffrage underwent major restoration work in the late 1990s, including the complete reconstruction of the lantern atop the dome, which had been destroyed in 1920. Following the renovations, the church was used for exhibitions and concerts. Today, it is entrusted to the Orthodox Church.