The church and adjoining convent were founded by Jacopo Luini, a Carmelite lay brother who died shortly after construction began and was later beatified. Construction began in 1477 and was completed in the early years of the 16th century. The first chapel was added in 1544, while the side chapels date back to the mid-17th century.
The church has a single nave divided into two bays covered with cross vaults. The Renaissance portal, made of red sandstone, is decorated with coats of arms (in the center, that of the Counts Rusca of Luino), festoons, and a terracotta sculpture depicting the Madonna and Child. It is now protected by a 17th-century entrance portico. The façade has a gabled profile, and the bell tower—also dating to the 17th century—stands near the apse.
Inside, the confessionals and pulpit are made of carved wood, while notable frescoes include a Holy Family from the second half of the 16th century and a rare Virgin of Mercy from the late 15th century. The 19th-century organ was built by the Luino organ maker Francesco Carnisi.
Each July, the 17th-century statue of the Madonna del Carmine is carried in procession through the streets of the town.

Sul viale Dante Alighieri, tra il fitto colonnato dei giganteschi platani entro le cui ramaglie, denudate dal freddo, si diffonde l’ultima luce rossa di questi tramonti invernali, si vede sorgere, alta sul terrapieno, l’armoniosa Chiesa del Carmine. Sulla fronte del tempio carmelitano che domina, con il fosco campanile, un gruppo di case basse, altri platani grandi aprono lo spogliato ventaglio dei rami; l’oscura soglia è protetta da un pronao semplice. Spira subito nell’animo di chi entra nel piccolo tempio un senso di cose antiche e di età lontane, alle quali accennano le pietre sepolcrali e lo stile del santuario.

Piero Chiara, Affreschi nella chiesa del Carmine, 1933