San Pietro di Castello (I&V) and other Venice, Italy Things to Do Tips

Church San Pietro di Castello is on the island San Pietro di Castello – isolated and peaceful part of Venice. There were church at the same place since 7th century, first dedicated to SS. Sergio and Bacco, and then it seems that it was rebuilt by Bishop Magnus in honour of St Peter, and, in honour of the island, it was named San Pietro di Castello. San Pietro di Castello was the he Cathedral of Venice until 1807, when the title passed to St Mark’s. After several reconstructions, it was "redesigned" by Andrea Palladio in 1596. Paintings in this church are made by Marco Basaiti ("St Peter Enthroned and Four Saints"), Luca Giordano ("Virgin and Child with Souls in Purgatory"), Tizian, Paolo Caliari Veronese, Alessandro Varotari Padovanino…

There is so-called Throne of St Peter, presented to the Doge by Byzantine Emperor Michael III, in San Pietro di Castello. This throne, according to legend, was used by St Peter during his apostolic mission to Antioch of which he was the first bishop. Throne of St Peter plays an important role in Corto Maltese’s adventure in Venice.

Leave a Comment

Address: Campo San Pietro, Castello
Directions: San Pietro di Castelo church is on the Isola di San Pietro, at the east of Venice, and it can be reached by vaporetto ("San Pietro" station), or walking about 10 minutes from Giardini.

Church Santa Maria Formosa dominates the square of the same name. The church dates back to the 7th century and, according to tradition, it was founded by St Magnus, bishop of Oderzo. The name "formosa" relates to an alleged appearance of the Holy Virgin disguised as a fashionable woman. The church was restored several times, particularly in the 9th and 12th centuries, and finally rebuilt in 1492 by Mauro Codussi. But when Codussi died in 1504, he had still not begun work on the facades which long remained unfinished. Almost 40 years later, in 1542 Capello family financed construction of the Renaissance-style facade facing the channel. The Baroque facade, facing the square, was completed one century afrer Codussi’s dead – in 1604, and work was financed by the same Capello family. The bell tower is the 17th century Baroque addition too.

Among the most remarkable artworks in Santa Maria Formosa are "Triptych of Madonna of Misericordia" by Bartolomeo Vivarini, "Polyptych of St Barbara" by Jacopo Negretti called Palma Vecchio, "The Last Supper" by Leandro Bassano…

Leave a Comment

Address: Campo Santa Maria Formosa, San Marco
Directions: Santa Maria Formosa is located approximately on the half way from Piazza San Marco to Campo San Giovanni e Paolo.

Church San Giovanni in Bragora dedicated to St John the Baptist, had been founded at the beginning of the 8th century by St Magnus, the Bishop of Oderzo. It was restored in the 9th and the 12th centuries and rebuilt in 1475 in the Gothic style. Its brick facade is divided vertically by pilasters that mark the internal division of the church into nave and side aisles. Addition to its name is probably derived from the old dialectal word "bragolare", meaning the fishing trade, or from "bragola", meaning a market square, but another tradition states that the church took its name from the Greek "agora", which means simply "square".

The best known painting in this church is "Baptism of Christ", made by Cima da Conegliano. Among the others are "Washing of the Feet" by Jacopo di Antonio Negretti called Palma Giovane, "Virgin and Child with St John the Baptist and St Andrew" by Bartolomeo Vivarini, "Resurrection" by Alvise Vivarini…

According to legend, San Giovanni in Bragora was one of the seven original churches on the islands of Venice. Another legend says that on the spot where the church now stands once stood the little church of St Mark, where, tradition has it, on his return from Aquileia St Mark the Evangelist greeted an angel with the words "Pax tibi Marce Evangelista meus", which form the motto of the Republic of Venice.

Antonio Vivaldi, famous Venetian composer and violinist, and Pietro Barbo, later to be Pope Paul II were baptized in Church San Giovanni in Bragora.

Leave a Comment

Address: Campo Bandiera e Moro, Castello
Directions: San Giovanni in Bragora is located in Castello area on Campo Bandiera e Moro or De la Bragora, by Riva degli Schavioni. The nearest vaporetto stations are "San Zaccaria" and "Arsenale".

San Giacomo dall'Orio is one of the oldest churches of Venice. The original foundation of the building seems to date from the 9th century but the church was completely rebuilt in 1225. The churh was restored and modified in the 14th and the 15th century, the major renovation was undertaken in 1532 and the of Chapel of the Holy Sacrament was built in 1549. The origin of the name of the church is unknown. Possibilities include being named after a laurel – "lauro" that once stood nearby, a version of "dal Rio" – "of the river", or once standing on an area of dried-up swamp – "luprio".

Exterior of the San Giacomo dall'Orio is very austere, excluding, perhaps, square-plan bell tower built in the 13th century. The interior is beautiful, with quite unique, archaic atmosphere. Wooden keel roof with decorated wooden beams, built in late 14th or early 15th century and recently renovated, looks spectacularly.

San Giacomo dall'Orio treasures several paintings by Jacopo di Antonio Negretti called Palma Giovane considered to be the greatest of his achievements – "Passover", "Virgin and Child with Saints", "St Lawrence Giving the Wealth to the Poor", "The Martyrdom of St Lawrence"… Among the other paintings are "Virgin and Child with Saints" by Lorenzo Lotto, Veronese's "Doctors of the Church" and "Faith and the Holy Spirit"…

Although located on the square of the same name, one of the most beautiful Venetian squares – Campo San Giacomo dall'Orio, the church main facade and the portal face tiny Campiello del Piovan.

Leave a Comment

Address: Campiello del Piovan, Santa Croce
Directions: San Giacomo dall'Orio is a-few-minutes-walk far from Fodaco Dei Turchi (Natural History Museum) on Canal Grande. The nearest vaporetto stations are "San Stae" and "Riva di Biasio".

Church of San Pantaleone Martire, known as San Pantalon in the Venetian dialect, is located on square of the same name. It is dedicated to Saint Pantaleon, martyr and healer from Nicomedia (present day Izmit, a city in Turkey). The church was established in the earliest history of Venice but it is not known even the exact century. In the early 11th century – in 1009 it was rebuilt, then renovated in 1222. In a state of collapse, it was pulled down in 1668 and rebuilt more solidly. Another reconstruction occurred in 1745. The most recent reconstructions and conservations of the paintings in the church were undertaken in 70s and 80s of 20th century.

San Pantalon is particularly well-known for the stupendous painting, considered to be the largest painting on canvas in the world – "The Martyrdom and Apotheosis of St Pantalon", artwork of Gian Antonio Fumiani which he painted from 1680 until 1704. Approximate dimension of the painting is 25×50 m, and it covers the whole of the ceiling of the church. Fumiani putatively died from a fall from a scaffold, although some sources date his death to six years after he had completed his work on this canvas. He was buried in San Pantalon church.

Other notable works include Trecento masterpiece "Madonna of the Poppy" by Paolo Veneziano, "Coronation of the Virgin" by Antonio Vivarini and Giovanni d'Alemagna in the Chapel of the Holy Nail and "St Pantalon healing a Boy" or "Conversion of St Pantaleon", probably the last work of Paolo Veronese, originally commissioned for the high altar.

Leave a Comment

Address: Campo San Pantalon, Dorsoduro
Directions: Church San Pantalon is located on Campo San Pantalon north of Campo Santa Margherita.

San Zaccaria is located on the square of the same name – Campo San Zaccaria. It is dedicated to San Zaccaria – Saint Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, whose relics it claims to possess.

The church was founded in the 9th century. After that it was reconstructed several times – between 1444 and 1465 the architect, Antonio Gambello rebuilt it in a Gothic style, and after Gambello's death in 1481 Mauro Codussi added its present day beautiful Renaissance marble facade.

The crypt of the church, which is prone to flooding, contains the tombs of nine former doges.

To be continued in PART II…

Leave a Comment

Address: Campo San Zaccaria, Castello
Directions: San Zaccaria is a short walk far from the vaporetto station of the same name on Riva degli Schiavoni. It is on the east side of Basilica of San Marco, very near it.

[…] Among the artworks in San Zaccaria are frescoes by Andrea del Castagno representing God the Father, St John the Baptist, St John the Evangelist and St Mark, a series of polyptychs by Antonio Vivarini – "Polyptych of the Body of Christ", "Polyptych of the Virgin" and "Santa Sabina Polyptych", Tintoretto's "Birth of St John the Baptist", Van Dyck's "Crucifixion"… But, above all, there is magnificent "Madonna and Child with Saints" painted in 1505 by Giovanni Bellini, who had been at that time about 80 years old. This painting is considered to to be "one of the most beautiful and refined works of the master". Albrecht Durer, who was especially influenced by Giovanni Bellini, had seen this painting in 1506 and he had written about Bellini comparing him to the other Venetian painters: "He is very old, and still he is the best painter of them all".

If not for any other reason, San Zaccaria should not be missed because of Bellini's masterpiece.

Leave a Comment

Address: Campo San Zaccaria, Castello
Directions: San Zaccaria is a short walk far from the vaporetto station of the same name on Riva degli Schiavoni. It is on the east side of Basilica of San Marco, very near it.

Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo was erected from mid-13th to early 15th century, by the Dominican Friars and and it is dedicated to the two 3rd century Roman martyrs, the brothers Giovanni and Paolo. It is better known as San Zanipolo, as Zani and Polo are Venetian dialect form of names Giovanni and Paolo. It is, as often happens in Venice, on the square of the same name. It was used for state funerals of Doges and contains their monumental tombs.

There are paintings made by Giovanni Bellini ("Polyptych of San Vincenzo Ferreri"), Lorenzo Lotto ("The Alms of St Anthony"), Tiziano Vecellio ("The Death of St Peter Martyr"), Paolo Veronese ("Assumption"), Bonifacio Veronese ("St Michael Vanquishing the Devil")… and sculptures by Pietro Lombardo (Monument of Pietro Mocenigo…), Tullio Lombardo (Monument of Andrea Vendramin, "St Mark Baptizes Anianus"…), Alessandro Vittoria, Piero di Niccolo Lamberti… in it.

Leave a Comment

Address: Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Castello
Directions: San Zanipolo is about 15-minutes-of-nice-walk north from Piazza San Marco. The nearest vaporetto stations to San Zanipolo are "Ospedale Civile" (Civil Hospital) and "Fondamenta Nuove".

Church of Santa Maria del Carmelo, known as Dei Carmini in the Venetian dialect, is located on the square of the same name – Campo Carmini in Dorsoduro area. The church was built in period from 1288 to 1348. The facade was rebuilt in the first decades of the 16th century, and the interior retains the original 14th century appearance – three naves separated by columns.

Among many paintings inside this church are "St Nicholas of Bari in Glory" by Lorenzo Lotto and the "Adoration of the Shepherds" by Cima di Conegliano.

Leave a Comment

Address: Campo Carmini, Dorsoduro
Directions: Church of Santa Maria del Carmelo is located on Campo Carmini and it is facing south side of Campo Santa Margherita.

Madonna dell'Orto, one of the most beautiful "hidden" churches in Venice and "one of the greatest expressions of the Venetian Gothic" is settled in quiet and peaceful northern Cannaregio district. It was built in late 14th and reconstructed during 15th century. Originally dedicated to St Christopher, the church changed its name because an ancient statue of Virgin, found in a nearby garden and considered to be miraculous, was brought there. The portal of the church, designed by Bartolomeo Bon, is decorated with statue of St Christopher Carrying the Christ Child artwork of Nicolo di Giovanni called Fiorentino, architect and the sculptor of, probably, Croatian origin. At the top of side naves are twelve statues of the Apostles – six on each. There is a legend about one of thirty silver coins, Judas' award for betraying Christ, being there, inside the sculpture of Judas. At the upper part of central nave there is Virgin Annunciate, another sculpture by Nicolo di Giovanni.

Although there is Cima da Conegliano masterpiece "St John the Baptist with Saints" in Madonna dell'Orto, this church is the best known for the works of Jacopo Robusti called Tintoretto. Tintoretto lived nearby the church, he had been a parishioner of Madonna dell’Orto and, finally he had been buried in it, along with his son Domenico and daughter Marietta.

To be continued in PART II…

Leave a Comment

Address: Quartiere Grimani, Cannaregio
Directions: Madonna dell'Orto is on north of Venice. There is vaporetto station "Madonna dell'Orto" very near the church. The nearest place on Grand Canal is San Marcuola, and it is ten minutes of nice walk far from Madonna dell'Orto.
Website: http://www.madonnadellorto.org/