Page 101 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

VENICE І 99

It has bronzes by Alessandro 4 Santa Maria dei
Vittoria and paintings by Titian Miracoli
and Van Dyck. The portego
displays frescoes (c.1532) by Campo dei Miracoli. Map 3 B5. Tel 041
Pordenone from the cloister 275 04 62. 4 Rialto, Fondamenta
of Santo Stefano, while an Nuove. Open 10:30am–4:30pm Mon–
Sat (4pm Mon). Closed 1 Jan, 25 Dec.
anteroom contains damaged & ^ ∑ chorusvenezia.org
frescoes by Titian taken from
the Fondaco dei Tedeschi. An exquisite masterpiece of
early Renaissance architecture, Decorative column from inside Santa Maria
the Miracoli is the church where dei Miracoli
many Venetians like to get
married. Tucked away in a maze and prophets. The balustrade,
of alleys and waterways in between the nave and the
eastern Cannaregio, it is small chancel, is decorated by Tullio
and somewhat elusive. Lombardo’s carved figures of
Santa Maria dei Miracoli is St Francis, Archangel Gabriel,
decorated in various shades the Virgin and St Clare.
of marble, with some fine bas- The screen around the
reliefs and sculpture. It was high altar and the medallions
built in 1481–9 by the of the Evangelists in the
architect Pietro Lombardo and cupola spandrels are also
his sons to enshrine The Virgin Lombardo’s work. Above the
and Child (1408), a painting main door, the choir gallery
believed to have miraculous was used by the nuns from the
powers. The picture, by Niccolò neighbouring convent, who
di Pietro, can still be seen entered the church through
above the altar. an overhead gallery. Santa
The interior of the church is Maria dei Miracoli has under-
embellished by pink, white and gone a major restoration
Giovanni Bellini’s 1513 altarpiece in grey marble. It is crowned by programme, which was
San Giovanni Grisostomo a barrel-vaulted ceiling (1528), funded by the American
3 San Giovanni which has 50 portraits of saints Save Venice organization.
Grisostomo Santa Maria dei Miracoli
Campo San Giovanni Grisostomo. Carving of This beautifully proportioned façade is
Map 3 B5. Tel 041 523 52 93. saint composed of decorated panels and
4 Rialto. Open 8:15am–12:15pm, multicoloured polished marble.
3–7pm daily. Closed during Mass. ^
The semicircular
This terracotta-coloured crowning lunette
church is located near to emphasizes the
the Rialto. Built between church’s jewel-box
1479 and 1504, it is a appearance.
lovely Renaissance
design, the last work
of Mauro Coducci. A false loggia is
The interior is built formed of Ionic
on a Greek-cross plan. arches, inset with
The light meter illumin- windows. The marble
ates Giovanni Bellini’s used was reportedly
St Jerome with Saints left over from the
building of San Marco.
Christopher and
Augustine (1513) above Virgin and Child by
the first altar on the right. Giorgio Lascaris
This was most probably
Bellini’s last painting,
executed when he The marble panels
was in his eighties. are fixed to the bricks
Over the high altar by metal hooks. This
hangs Sebastiano method prevents the
del Piombo’s St John build-up of damp
and salt water behind
Chrysostom and Six the panels, and dates
Saints (1509–11). from the Renaissance.

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