The Church or Sanctuary of the Madonna del Carmine in Luino is a 15th century church facing the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, within strolling distance of the town centre.

It was founded in 1477 by the Blessed Jacopino of Luino. The Madonna del Carmine is one of the patron saints of the town (the other is St Peter), and her feast day is the 16th of July.

The Carmine Church is the oldest in the town and has been altered and extended many times over the years. A chapel was added to the original late Gothic building in 1544, and other chapels were added later.

The church is decorated with a number of frescoes, almost all restored or recovered from restoration work. These include a valuable fresco of the “Holy Family” from the second half of the 16th century, and a rare “Madonna della Misericordia” (Virgin of Mercy) which was probably painted at the end of the 15th century. The local artist Bernardo Luini is thought to be the author of the fresco depicting “the Virgin and the Child Christ between St Roch and St Sebastian”.

The interior of the church includes several chapels: the “Chapel of the Crucifixion”, which contains a cycle of frescoes dating from 1544, the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows (Madonna Addolorata), with a 19th century statue of the Virgin, and the chapel dedicated to the Madonna del Carmine, with a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel of 1587.

A scapular with rosary, used to bless children and one of the commonest symbols of the cult of Mary, is kept in the church.