Church of San Niccolò al Carmine

High Altar

The high altar, made from a variety of polychrome marbles, among which Yellow Siena is predominant, dates back to the second half of the seventeenth century with clear references to the Renaissance and was built in imitation of the Cathedral’s altar. It has three overlapping steps, evocative of the connection between the Earth and the Kingdom of God, with an open space in the centre, now closed by the statue of the Virgin of Carmel, which enabled the choir to see the host raised by the celebrant during the Eucharist This is a typical altar of the Counter-Reformation period, with a monumental altar slab. It is crowned by a cylindrical tabernacle, made between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and although it no longer contains the consecrated host, it remains a sign of Christ's presence.