Page 160 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Venice & The Veneto

158  VENICE AREA B Y AREA

originally named Spinalunga sacristy to the right of the choir.
(long spine) on account of its The most rewarding views of
shape. The name Giudecca, Il Redentore are from Venice
once thought to have referred across the water. For special
to the Jews, or giudei, who lived festivities the church is often
here in the 13th century, is more floodlit after dark, which makes
likely to have originated from a spectacular sight.
the word giudicati, meaning “
the judged”. This referred to R Le Zitelle
troublesome aristocrats who, Fondamenta delle Zitelle.
as early as the 9th century, Tel 041 309 66 05. 4 Zitelle.
were banished to the island. Open by appointment only. 8
Hotel Cipriani (see p265), Palladio’s church is now the site
among the most luxurious of Venice’s most up-to-date
places to stay in Venice, is congress centre. The building
discreetly located at the tip of adjoining the church used to be
Boats moored along the Ponte Lungo on the island. In contrast, at the a hostel for spinsters (zitelle),
the Giudecca western end of the island looms who occupied themselves by
the massive Neo-Gothic ruin of making fine lace.
6 Giudecca the Mulino Stucky. It was built in
1895 as a flour mill by the Swiss
4 No. 2, 4.1 or 4.2.
entrep reneur Giovanni Stucky,
In the days of the Republic, an unpopular employer who
the island of Giudecca was a was murdered by one of his
pleasure ground of palaces workers in 1910. The mill ceased
and gardens. Today it is very functioning in 1954. Following
much a suburb of the city, its extensive renovations, it
dark, narrow alleys flanked reopened in 2007 as a luxury
by apartments, its squares hotel with a rooftop pool.
overgrown and its palazzi
neglected. Many of its old R Il Redentore
factories have been converted Campo Redentore. Tel 041 275 04 62.
into modern housing. However, 4 Redentore. Open 10am–5pm An artisan at work at the San Servolo
the long, wide quayside skirting Mon–Sat. Closed 1 Jan, 25 Dec. & training centre
the city side of the island makes 9 ∑ chorusvenezia.org
a very pleasant promenade Giudecca’s principal monument 7 San Servolo
and provides stunning views is Palladio’s church of Il Redentore 4 No. 20 from San Zaccaria. Venice
of Venice across (The Redeemer). It was built in International University: Tel 041 276
the water. The 1577–92 in thanksgiving for the 50 01.
island was end of the 1576 plague, which
wiped out a third of the city’s Halfway between San Marco
population. Every year since its and the Lido is the island of
creation, the doge and his San Servolo. Now a centre for
entourage would visit the teaching crafts and home to the
church, crossing from the Venice International University,
Zattere on a bridge of boats. it started life as one of the
The Feast of the Redeemer is original monastery islands of
still celebrated on the third Venice. Benedictine monks
weekend in July (see p38). The established a monastery here
church of Il Redentore, styled in the 8th century, and later
on the architecture of added a hospital.
ancient Rome, is a In 1725 the island became
masterpiece of a lunatic asylum and a new
harmony and hospital was built to house
proportion. The the patients. The Council of
Classical interior Ten (see p46) declared that this
presents a marked was to be strictly a shelter for
contrast to the ornate “maniacs of noble family or
and elaborate style of comfortable circumstances”.
most Venetian Poor maniacs were imprisoned
churches. The main or left to their own devices. In
paintings, by Paolo 1797 Napoleon scrubbed this
Veronese and Alvise discriminatory decree and the
Palladio’s Redentore church, Giudecca Vivarini, are in the asylum became free to all. In

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