Page 106 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

104  NOR THEAST IT AL Y

9 Scuola Grande di San Rocco

Founded in honour of San Rocco (St Roch), a saint who dedicated
his life to helping the sick, the Scuola started out as a charitable
confraternity. Construction began in 1515 under Bartolomeo Bon
and was continued by Scarpagnino until his death in 1549. The work
was financed by donations from Venetians keen to invoke San Rocco’s
protection and the Scuola quickly became one of the wealthiest
in Venice. In 1564 its members decided to commission Tintoretto
to dec orate its walls and ceilings. His earliest paintings, the first
of over 50 works he eventually left in the Scuola, fill the small Sala
Restored main entrance to the dell’Albergo off the Upper Hall. His later paintings occupy the
Scuola di San Rocco Ground Floor Hall, immediately within the entrance.

Tintoretto’s magnificent Crucifixion, painted in 1565 for the Sala dell’Albergo in the Scuola di San Rocco
hermit’s isolated spiritual in allev iating thirst, sickness
Ground Floor Hall
contemplation in St Mary of and hunger, respectively. All
The ground floor cycle was Egypt. In all three paintings, the three paintings are crowded
executed in 1582–7, when landscapes are rendered with compositions displaying much
Tintoretto was in his sixties, and noticeably rapid strokes, and violent movement.
consists of eight large paintings are an important part of the The vast wall paintings in the
illustrating, among others, the final composition. hall feature episodes from the
life of Mary. The series starts New Testament, linking with
with an Annunciation and ends the ceiling paintings. Two of
with an Assumption. Upper Hall and Sala the most striking paintings are
dell’Albergo
The calm and tranquil scenes The Temptation of Christ, which
of The Flight into Egypt, St Mary Scarpagnino’s great staircase shows a handsome young
Magdalene and St Mary of (1544–6), its upper flight dec­ Satan offering Christ two loaves
Egypt are remarkable for their orated with two vast paintings of bread, and The Adoration
serenity. This is portrayed commemorating the plague of the Shepherds. Like The
most lucidly by the repentant of 1630, leads to the Upper Temptation of Christ, The
Hall. Here, biblical subjects Adoration is composed in two
decorate the ceiling and walls, halves, with a female figure,
painted by Tintoretto from shepherds and an ox below,
1575 to 1581. and the Holy Family and
The ceiling paintings portray onlookers above.
scenes from the Old Testament. The breathtakingly beautiful
The three large and dynamic carvings below the paintings
square paintings in the centre were added in the 17th century
show episodes from the Book of by sculptor Francesco Pianta.
Exodus: Moses Strikes Water from The figures are allegorical
the Rock, The Miracle of the Bronze and include (near the altar)
Serpent and The Fall of Manna in a caricature of Tintoretto
Detail from The Flight into Egypt the Desert. These all allude to the with his palette and brushes,
(1582–7) by Tintoretto charitable aims of the Scuola representing Painting.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp562–5 and pp580–84

104-105_EW_Italy.indd 104 4/4/17 5:32 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.9)
Date 20th August 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm