San Giacomo di Rialto is a church in the
sestiere
A (plural: ) is a subdivision of certain Italian towns and cities. The word is from (‘sixth’), so it is thus used only for towns divided into six districts. The best-known example is the ''sestieri'' of Venice, but Ascoli Piceno, Genoa, ...
of
San Polo,
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isl ...
, northern
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. The addition of ''
Rialto'' to the name distinguishes this church from its namesake
San Giacomo dell'Orio found in the sestiere of
Santa Croce, on the same side of the
Grand Canal.
It has a large 15th-century clock above the entrance, a useful item in the Venetian business district but regarded as a standing joke for its inaccuracy.
The
Gothic portico is one of the few surviving examples in Venice. It has a
Latin cross
A Latin cross or ''crux immissa'' is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a m ...
plan with a central dome. Inside, the Veneto-Byzantine capitals on the six columns of ancient Greek marble date from the 11th century.
History
According to tradition, San Giacomo is the oldest church in the city, supposedly consecrated in the year 421. Although documents exist mentioning the area but not the church in 1097, the first document citing the church dates from 1152. It was rebuilt in 1071, prompting the establishment of the Rialto market with bankers and money changers in front of the church. The system with the "bill of exchange" was introduced here, as clients went with such a bill of exchange with a credit inscribed from one banker to another.
In 1503, it survived a fire which destroyed the rest of the area, and was restored from 1601 by order of
Doge
A doge ( , ; plural dogi or doges) was an elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states, notably Venice and Genoa, during the medieval and renaissance periods. Such states are referred to as " crowned republics".
Etymolog ...
Marino Grimani. Works included raising of the pavement to counter the
acqua alta.
Gallery
San Giacomo di Rialto.jpg, Clock with one hand, divided into 24 hours.
San Giacomo Di Rialto - il campanile e la cupola visti da sud-est.jpg, The bell tower and the dome
San Giacomo di Rialto (interno).jpg, Interior view
San Giacomo di Rialto altarpiece.jpg, Altarpiece
San Giacomo di Rialto - Annunciazione by Marco Vecellio.jpg, Annunciazione by Marco Vecellio
file:Interior of Santi Giovanni e Paolo (Venice) - The Virgin on earth sending the two founders Dominic and Francis (av.1611) by Marco Vecellio.jpg, ceiling San Zanipolo
Marco Vecellio (1545–1611) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance perio ...
See also
* : a nearby statue of a crouching man
References
Sources
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Giacomo di Rialto
Roman Catholic churches in Venice
16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy
Gothic architecture in Venice
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1601
1601 establishments in Italy