The church of Santa Maria della Scala was built in the 17th century. It is served by friars of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites.
Santa Maria della Scala was built to house an icon of the Madonna, which had originally been placed on the landing of an external staircase attached to a nearby house. In 1592 a deformed child, whose mother often prayed before the image, was cured and the church was built in response to the veneration of the people that resulted. The church was begun by the architect Francesco Capriani da Volterra (1535-94), who died having completed the nave and side chapels. It is uncertain who took over, but the building was completed in 1610.
Virgin and Child by Francesco di Cusart
There is a statue of the Virgin and Child (1633) above the entrance, the work of the sculptor Francesco di Cusart. The Virgin sits and Christ stands on a small set of stairs.
Nave
The interior takes the form of a single nave with three chapels on either side.
Organ and Singing Gallery
Above the entrance is a spectacular double-decker cantoria and organ loft, which was commissioned by Cardinal Luigi Antonio di Borbone Spagna and executed in 1756 to a design by Giuseppe Pannini, son of the celebrated painter Giovanni Paolo Pannini (1691-1765), who became famous for his views of Rome. To be continued...