CHURCH BUILDING
Church of the Visitation
Jerusalem · Ein Karem
A brief history
The Franciscans acquired this sanctuary in 1679; Antonio Barluzzi designed its twentieth-century rebuilding after archaeological excavations. It commemorates Mary visiting Elizabeth. The identification with Ein Karem is traditional: Luke places the meeting in a town in Judah’s hill country without naming the town.
An interesting detail
The complex preserves a Crusader hall and a well fed by a small spring, tangible reminders of its layered architectural history.