Venice World

Churches

These are the best churches in Venice, conveniently categorised into the city areas. The map at the bottom of the page shows the location of these areas.

Click on the names of the churches to show the descriptions. Click again to hide.

Santa Croce

Church of San Simeon Piccolo
This imposing church is located opposite the Santa Lucia train station. Built at the beginning of the 18th century, it was intended to be a copy of the Pantheon in Rome. This explains the large green dome, with the statue of San Salvatore on the top. The building has been used as a concert auditorium for some time now.
Church of Santo Stae
The Church of San Stae was built on the wishes of the Doge Alvise Mocenigo around 1709. The façade features marble decorations sculpted by Tarsia, Torretto, Baratta and Groppelli. Architect Giovanni Grassi designed and built the church interior. The church has a central aisle, a vaulted ceiling and three chapels on each side. There are also several paintings.

San Polo

Church of San Giacometto
Popular tradition considers the church of San Giacometto to be the oldest church in Venice. It was built thanks to the belief and talent of a carpenter from Crete around the 5th Century, just when the first people settled on this group of islands. The church is very small yet very charming. There is a large clock on the façade, built in 1410.
Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
This large Gothic church is one of the most imposing religious buildings in Venice. It was built by the minor monks of teh Franciscan order, known as Frari, thanks to a donation from the Doge Jacopo Tiepolo.

The first version of the church was completed in 1338, and was much smaller than the current one. More donations from important Venetian families enabled the church to be expanded and decorated.

At the beginning of the 15th century this structure was demolished to build a new church using an enormous amount of bricks dotted with white marble decorations. The severe, imposing façade is built in a late Gothic style and is divided into three parts with Venetian-Byzantine capital-topped pillars.

The interior is just as magnificent. The church is structured on a Latin cross pattern, with a central aisle and side aisles, divided by twelve massive pillars.

The church houses many works of art by notable painters such as Tiziano, Palma il Giovane and Piazetta. The ancient convent and oratory hold the city's archives - there are 15 million volumes containing the Serenissima's entire history.

Dorsoduro

Basilica della Salute
On 22 October 1630, during the terrible plague that struck Venice, the Doge Nicolò Contarini publicly declared that a church would be built in the name of Health (salute) as a vow to end the scourge. One year later, the plague was wiped out. The Basilica della Salute was opened in 1687.

Eleven plans for the church were presented. The chosen design, by Baldassare Longhena, included a huge façade reminiscent of the Palladium, with a wonderful huge door in the centre. The façade was lifted by a number of steps, giving the church an even greater sense of grandeur.

The interior is incredibly charming due to its sheer size. The central area is octagonal. The sides have a corresponding number of arches divided up by columns.

There are a number of workds of art inside the church too - Pentecost, San Rocco and San Sebastiano, David and Goliath, and Cain and Abel by Tiziano; The Marriage of Canaan by Tintoretto; and Jonah and Samson by Palma il Giovane.

Castello

Church of Santa Maria Formosa
The Church of Santa Maria Formosa is one of the eight churches built in the 7th century by San Magno, the Bishop of Oderzo. According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to him in the form of a shapely matron.

The church was rebuilt several times over the centuries. Firstly in 1668, following earthquake damage, lastly in the period 1916 to 1921, using funds provided by the government and Count Venier.

The baroque church tower was built in 1668, designed by Francesco Zucconi. The façade of the church that faces the canal was built using money donated by the Cappello family, in honour of Captain Vincenzo Cappello, who defeated the Turks.

The church's interior was decorated by Mauro Coducci and is built according to the Latin cross pattern over the previous Greek cross foudnations. It has a central aisle and side aisles, a choir, transepts with cross vaults and a hemispherical dome. The church is also home to some wonderful paintings by Bartolomeo Vivarini, Palma il Giovane and Palma il Vecchio.
Church of the Santissimi Giovanni and Paolo
The Church of the Santissimi Giovanni and Paolo is dedicated to the two Roman brothers who became martyrs in Rome in the 2nd century. In 1234, the order of Dominican monks began to build this church, which took almost two centuries to finish.

This large church is built in religious Gothic style. Its façade was constructed in three parts, with a central rose and two round side openings. The lower part of the façade is decorated with a series of Gothic arches and two sarcophaguses - Marco Michiel and Diniele Marco Bon on the right and the Doge Jacopo Tiepolo and his son Lorenzo on the left. The church interior is built on a Latin cross pattern. It contains many funeral monuments of Doges and other important figures. It also contains works of art by Lombardo, Piazzetta and other artists from the Bellini school.
Church of San Francesco della Vigna
Church of San Giorgio Dei Greci
Church of the Pietà