Still reigning over the neighborhood known as Little Italy, Mount Carmel was Colorado's first Italian national parish. The Romanesque Revival design in brick has twin towers capped by copper domes. A large rose window is centered in the front gable above a niche for a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The 1,000-pound bell, the “heartbeat” of north Denver, once regulated life as church bells did in the old country. The interior is decorated by marble statues brought from Italy and mural paintings on the walls and ceiling. In the alley behind the church, proud craftsmanship can be seen in the red brick chimneys with blond brick crosses inset.