The church of Sant'Ignazio di Loyola is a place of worship in Carpi built in 1670 and inaugurated in 1682 by the Jesuits, present in the town since 1622. In the adjoining building, now the bishop's seminary, were their college and the public schools.
What to see
The design was drawn up by the Modenese Antonio Loraghi, a pupil of Bartolomeo Avanzini, the ducal architect. The sober, tall façade is matched by an airy interior on a centralised Greek-cross plan, with large side chapels and domes. The stucco decoration contrasts with the richness of the scagliola altars, painted with an illusionistic effect.
The scagliola altar frontals and the high altar of 1696, a masterpiece of Giovanni Pozzuoli and Giovanni Massa, are notable. There are paintings by F. Stringa, G. Brandi, B. Lamberti and A. Lugli. In the adjoining seminary building some canvases can be seen, among which stands out the Assunta, a detached fresco by Brother Stefano da Carpi.
Visiting
The church is in Carpi and houses the Museo diocesano of Carpi. The sources consulted give no opening hours or visiting arrangements: check with the diocese.
Our editors' tip
Look closely at the altars: they are of scagliola, painted with an illusionistic effect, and contrast with the stucco decoration of the rest of the church. The canvases of the seminary palace are in the adjoining building, not in the church.
