Holy Trinity Church (Chiesa della Santissima Trinità), Lucca

The Holy Trinity Church (Santissima Trinita) is a Renaissance-style Roman Catholic church located on Elisa Street in the historic center of Lucca. Completed in 1595, it was originally affiliated with the Barnabite order of nuns, who also managed an adjacent hospital for convalescents. Later, it became associated with the Salesian order.

The church's façade, attributed to Bartolommeo Ammannati or his followers, features rusticated pilasters and distinctive roof-top obelisks, giving it a striking architectural presence. Inside, the church follows a single-hall design covered by a barrel vault. The nuns' choir, supported by Doric columns, opens into the main space through three elegant arches.

The church is notable for its rich interior decoration, which began in 1595 and was completed by 1721. The main altar, an elaborate structure of polychrome marble with painted architectural elements, houses the Trinity with Saints John the Baptist, Paolino, Sebastian, Antony, and Catherine, a masterpiece by Pietro Paolini. A side altar is home to the sculpted Lactating Madonna (Madonna del Latte or Madonna della Tosse) by Matteo Civitali. The ceiling features an oval fresco of the Trinity by Pietro Sorri, while Domenico Brugieri contributed further decorative elements in 1721.

A glass box beneath the main altar contains a gilded statue holding relics, adding to the church’s spiritual significance. The building is also in direct relationship with the entrance portal of Villa Buonvisi, reinforcing its historical and architectural context in Lucca.

Today, the Holy Trinity Church remains a remarkable example of Renaissance religious architecture, preserving works by some of the most distinguished artists of the period.