Church of Santa Maria Corteorlandini, Lucca

The Church of Santa Maria Corteorlandini, also known as Santa Maria Nera, is a remarkable Baroque-style Roman Catholic church in Lucca. Situated on the street of the same name, the church has deep historical roots dating back to at least 1099. The church’s grand Baroque style still preserves Romanesque traces, notably in a surviving south portal. Its name, Corteorlandini, comes from the Curtis Rolandinga, the court of the Lombard Rolandinghi family.

By 1188, Santa Maria Corteorlandini was complete, though only parts of its medieval design, like the lateral apses, remain. In 1580, the Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca, founded by Saint Giovanni Leonardi, took over, expanding the church with convent rooms and a library, now part of the State Library of Lucca.

The church’s Baroque embellishments make it one of Lucca’s finest examples of the style. Inside, stucco decorations, frescoed vaults, and grand ceilings impress, along with 16th-century holy water fonts and an octagonal pulpit. It houses notable artworks, including copies of Guido Reni and Luca Giordano’s Assunta, as well as pieces by Tuscan artists like Francesco Vanni. The Eucharistic tabernacle, crafted from silver and lapis lazuli, is attributed to Flemish goldsmith Giovanni Vambre the Old.

Santa Maria Corteorlandini is affectionately known as “Santa Maria Nera” due to its brick chapel of the Madonna di Loreto, built in 1662. This chapel contains an exact replica of the revered Loreto Tabernacle, featuring a black-faced Madonna, which also served as a model for the restoration of the original shrine after it was destroyed by fire.

During December, the church is adorned with a lavish nativity scene, showcasing life-sized statues of the Three Wise Men dressed in opulent silk and velvet robes, a tribute to Lucca’s textile heritage. Despite its artistic and historical significance, Santa Maria Corteorlandini remains somewhat off the beaten path, making it a hidden treasure in Lucca’s rich architectural and cultural landscape.