According to the tradition, the church takes its name from a picture of the Virgin Mary, which in 1592 was located in the stairs of a nearby house. This relic was regarded as miraculous since it saved a child.
In the 16th century the Carmelities built one of the most ancient urban Apotechary in the monastery near the church. At the beginning only the friars could use it but in the 17th century it was opened to all the citizens.
The Carmelites were excellent chemists and they became famous for preparing a lot of remedies for every diseases using the herbs of their garden, such as the water of the stair for neuralgia, the melissa one as sedative and the samaritana one as disinfectant.
Even Pope Pius VIII (1761-1830) used their preparations, so the workshop became known as the Popes' apothecary.
The friars cessed their activity in 1954, but the Chemistry is still open and you can visit its laboratories, located in the first floor of the monastery.
These rooms conserve apothecary vases, mortars, balances, herbals and recipe books.
King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele I and other historical personalities visited the chemestry and these events are testified by paintings on the closets.
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| Santa Maria della Scala |
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| Paintings on the closets |
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| Apothecary |
Visualizzazione ingrandita della mappa
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