Page 124 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Venice & The Veneto

122  VENICE AREA B Y AREA

St George Slaying the Dragon by Carpaccio, in the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni
u Scuola di San Leading the Tamed Lion to the o Museo Storico
Giorgio degli Monastery and The Vision Navale
Schiavoni of St Jerome. Campo San Biagio, Arsenale,
Calle Furlani, Castello 3959A. i San Giovanni Castello 2148. Map 8 F3.
Map 8 E1. Tel 041 522 88 28. Tel 041 244 13 99. 4 Arsenale.
4 San Zaccaria. Open 1:30–4:30pm in Bragora Open 8:45am–1:30pm Mon–Fri (to
Mon, 9:15am–1pm, 1:30–4:30pm Tue– Campo Bandiera e Moro. Map 8 E2. 1pm Sat). Closed public hols. &
Sun. Closed public hols & special Tel 041 520 59 06. 4 Arsenale. ∑ marina.difesa.it
events. & ^
Open 9–11am, 3:30–5pm Mon–Sat, It was the Austrians who, in
9:30am–noon Sun. 1815, first had the idea of
Within this surprisingly simple assembling the remnants of
Scuola are some of the finest The foundations of this the Venetian navy and creating
paintings of Vittore Carpaccio, simple church date back to a historical naval museum. They
which were commissioned by ancient times but the existing began with a series of models
the Schiavoni community in building is essentially Gothic of vessels that had been
Venice during the 15th century. (1475–9). The intimate interior produced in the 17th century
From the earliest days of the has major works of art which by the Arsenale, and to these
Republic, Venice forged trade demonstrate the transition from added all the naval
links with the coastal region of Gothic to early Renaissance. paraphernalia they could
Schiavonia (Dalmatia) across the Bartolomeo Vivarini’s altarpiece, obtain. The exhibits include
Adriatic. By 1420 permanent Madonna and Child with Saints friezes preserved from famous
Venetian rule was established (1478), is clearly Gothic. galleys of the past, a variety of
there, and many of the Schiavoni Contrasting with this is Cima maritime firearms and a replica
came to live in Venice. By the da Conegliano’s Baptism of of the Doge’s ceremonial barge,
mid-15th century the Slav Christ (1492–5) on the main the Bucintoro.
colony in the city had grown altar. This large-scale narrative The collection has been
considerably and the State scene, in a realistic landscape, housed in an ex-warehouse on
gave permission for them to set a precedent for later the waterfront since 1958, and
found their own confraternity Renaissance painters. now traces Venetian and Italian
(see p131). naval history to the present day.
The Scuola was established in The first exhibits you see on
1451. It is a delightful spot to entering are the World War II
admire Carpaccio’s exceptional human torpedoes or “pigs”.
works of art, and has changed Torpedoes such as these
very little since the rebuilding of helped sink HMS Valiant and
the Scuola in 1551. The exquisite HMS Queen Elizabeth: they were
canvasses, executed between guided to their target by naval
1502 and 1508, show scenes divers who jumped off just
from the lives of favourite saints: before impact.
St George, St Tryphon and The rest of the museum
St Jerome. Each episode of the is divided into the Venetian
narrative cycle is remarkable navy, the Italian navy from Arsenale
for its vivid colouring, minutely 1860 to today, Adriatic vessels Vecchio,
observed detail and historic and the Swedish room. The 12th–13th
record of Venetian life. Outstand- museum is well laid out and century
ing among them are St George Model of the Bucintoro in has informative explanations
Slaying the Dragon, St Jerome the Museo Storico Navale in English.

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