Cross the Istria stone doorway outside Chiesa del Nome di Dio (church of God’s name), and you will enter one of the most spectacular places in town.
In the late 1500s, the hand of stage designer Giovanni Cortese transformed the religious building in a jewel halfway between theater and baroque architecture: the walls and ceiling are completely covered by dark curtains framed in gold-plated wood and inserted in the coffered structure.
The location remains enthralling despite the recurring reference to death – as also shown in the collection of objects kept in the sacristy – related to the main activity of the church’s large fraternal order: its job was to manage the funerals of the poor and the sentenced to death.
Needless to say: the Chiesa del Nome di Dio is truly dramatic!
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