church of San Giorgio Maggiore
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San Giorgio Maggiore (San Zorzi Mazor in Venetian) is a 16th-century
Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...
church on the island of the same name in
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 isla ...
, 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 ...
, designed by
Andrea Palladio Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of ...
, and built between 1566 and 1610. The church is a
basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...
in the classical Renaissance style and its brilliant white marble gleams above the blue water of the lagoon opposite the Piazzetta di San Marco and forms the focal point of the view from every part of the Riva degli Schiavoni.


History

The first church on the island was built about 790, and in 982 the island was given to the Benedictine order by the Doge
Tribuno Memmo Tribuno Memmo (died 991) was the 25th Doge of Venice who served from 979 to 991. History He was illiterate and according to preserved documents, he signed via ''signum manus''. He was rich, partly due to marriage to dogaressa Marina Candiano, d ...
. The Benedictines founded a
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...
there, but in 1223 all the buildings on the island were destroyed by an earthquake. The church and monastery were rebuilt after the earthquake. The church, which had a nave with side chapels, was not in the same position as the present church, but farther back at the side of a small campo or square. There were cloisters in front of it, which were demolished in 1516. The monks were considering the rebuilding of the church from 1521. Palladio arrived in Venice in 1560, when the refectory of the monastery was being rebuilt. He made great improvements to this and in 1565, was asked to prepare a model for a new church. The model was completed and approved in 1566 and the foundation stone was laid in the presence of the Pope in the same year. The work was not finished before the death of Palladio in 1580, but the body of the church was complete by 1575 except for the choir behind the altar and the facade. The decoration of the interior was completed subsequently. The choir appears to have been designed in essentials by Palladio before his death and was built between 1580 and 1589. The façade, initially under the superintendence of Simone Sorella, was not commenced until 1599. The stonemason's contract provided that it was to follow Palladio's model and there were only minor changes. It was completed in 1610. The campanile (bell tower), first built in 1467, fell in 1774; it was rebuilt in neo-classic style by 1791. It was ascended by easy ramps and there is now also a lift. There is a fine view across Venice from the top.


Exterior

The façade is brilliantly white and represents Palladio's solution to the difficulty of adapting a classical temple facade to the form of the Christian
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...
, with its high
nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
and low side
aisle An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, certain types of buildings, such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, par ...
s, which had always been a problem. Palladio's solution superimposed two facades, one with a wide pediment and architrave, extending over the nave and both the aisles, apparently supported by a single order of pilasters, and the other with a narrower pediment (the width of the nave) superimposed on top of it with a giant order of
engaged column In architecture, an engaged column is a column embedded in a wall and partly projecting from the surface of the wall, sometimes defined as semi- or three-quarter detached. Engaged columns are rarely found in classical Greek architecture, and then ...
s on high pedestals. This solution is similar to Palladio's slightly earlier facade for
San Francesco della Vigna San Francesco della Vigna is a Roman Catholic church in the Sestiere of Castello in Venice, northern Italy. History Along with Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, this is one of two Franciscan churches in Venice. The site, originally a vineyard (''v ...
, where the other parts of the church had been designed by Sansovino. On either side of the central portal are statues of Saint George and of
Saint Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...
, to whom the church is also dedicated. Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore a Venezia.jpg, San Giorgio Maggiore seen across the water San Giorgio Maggiore 2008 2.jpg, The facade Claude Monet, Saint-Georges majeur au crépuscule.jpg, ''
San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk ''Saint-Georges majeur au crépuscule'' (Eng: ''Dusk in Venice'', ''San Giorgio Maggiore by Twilight'' or ''Sunset in Venice'') refers to an Impressionist painting by Claude Monet, which exists in more than one version. It forms part of a serie ...
'',
Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. Durin ...
, 1908–1912


Interior

The interior of the church is very bright, with massive engaged columns and pilasters on undecorated, white-surfaced walls. The interior combines a long basilican nave with a cruciform plan with transepts. Two very large paintings by
Tintoretto Tintoretto ( , , ; born Jacopo Robusti; late September or early October 1518Bernari and de Vecchi 1970, p. 83.31 May 1594) was an Italian painter identified with the Venetian school. His contemporaries both admired and criticized the speed wit ...
relate to the institution of the Eucharist and are placed on either side of the presbytery, where they can be seen from the altar rail. These are ''
The Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
'' and ''The Jews in the desert'' (which shows them collecting and eating the manna, a gift of God to the Israelites in the desert after they escaped Egypt, and it foretells the gift of the Eucharist). In the Cappella dei Morti (Chapel of the dead) is a painting of the Entombment of Christ, also by Jacopo Tintoretto. The Benedictine monks kept control of chapels in the church and did not sell them to families to decorate and embellish as they pleased, as was done in many Venetian churches. They had income from property and were in a stronger position. Some altars were given over to distinguished families but the decoration was controlled by the monks. The chapel to the right of the high altar belonged to the Bollani family (
Domenico Bollani Domenico Bollani (1514–1579) was a diplomat and politician of the Republic of Venice, and as Bishop of Brescia from 1559 to 1579 he was a leading figure of the Catholic reform. Political career Domenico Bollani was born to a noble family in V ...
had been ambassador to Edward VI in England in 1547 and later a Bishop). Work on this chapel was delayed after the death of Domenico Bollani and it was still unfinished in 1619, with a poor painting as the altarpiece. Another painting was substituted in 1693, but it was not until 1708 that it acquired the important work now seen there, which is the ''Virgin and Child with Saints'' by Sebastiano Ricci. The altar to the left of the sanctuary was the responsibility of the
Morosini family The House of Morosini was a powerful Venetian noble family that gave many doges, statesmen, generals, and admirals to the Republic of Venice, as well as cardinals to the Church. History One legend says the family reached the Venetian lagoon i ...
. The altar is dedicated to St Andrew (in memory of a deceased son of Vincenzo Morosini) and the altarpiece is by Jacopo and Domenico Tintoretto showing the ''Risen Christ and St Andrew with Vincenzo Morosini and members of his family''. The altars in the transepts were retained by the monks. In the south transept is a painting by Jacopo and Domenico Tintoretto of the ''Coronation of the Virgin with Saints''. On the first altar on the right of the nave is the ''Adoration of the Shepherds'' by
Jacopo Bassano Jacopo Bassano (c. 1510 – 14 February 1592), known also as Jacopo dal Ponte, was an Italian painter who was born and died in Bassano del Grappa near Venice, and took the village as his surname. Trained in the workshop of his father, Francesco t ...
. On the left is the Miracle of the immobility of Santa Lucia (she was condemned to prostitution but by a miracle it was found impossible to move her) by
Leandro Bassano Leandro Bassano (10 June 1557 – 15 April 1622), also called Leandro dal Ponte, was an Italian artist from Bassano del Grappa who was awarded a knighthood by the Doge of Venice. He was the younger brother of artist Francesco Bassano the Younge ...
.Cooper pp.169-70 There are other paintings in the monastery building. Jacopo Tintoretto - The Last Supper - WGA22649.jpg, ''The Last Supper'' by Jacopo Tintoretto (in the presbytery) Jacopo Tintoretto - The Jews in the Desert - WGA22646.jpg, ''The Jews in the desert'' by Jacopo Tintoretto (in the presbytery) Jacopo Tintoretto - Entombment - WGA22650.jpg, ''Entombment of Christ'' by Jacopo Tintoretto (in Cappella dei Morti) Sebastiano Ricci 004.jpg, ''Madonna enthroned with Saints'' by Sebastiano Ricci (in Bollani chapel to right of high altar) Resurrection Tint.jpg, ''Risen Christ & St Andrew with Morosini family'' by Jacopo & Domenico Tintoretto (above Morosini altar to left of sanctuary) Jacopo da Ponte - Adoration of the Shepherds - WGA01461.jpg, ''Adoration of the Shepherds'' by Jacopo Bassano (1st altar on right in the nave) Bassano,Leandro Martyr S Lucia.jpg, ''Miracle of the immobility of Sta Lucia'' by Leandro Bassano (1st altar on left in the nave) 0 Venise, 'Raccolta della manna' di J. Tintoretto - San Giorgio Maggiore.JPG, ''Raccolta della manna''(Manna harvest) by Jacopo Tintoretto. 0 Venise, 'Adorazione dei pastori' - Jacopo Bassano - San Giorgio Maggiore.JPG, ''Adorazione dei pastori'' (Adoration of the Shepherds) by Jacopo Bassano (detail).


In fiction

Edward Morgan Forster mentions San Giorgio Maggiore in the chapter "On Beauty" of his novel ''
A Passage to India ''A Passage to India'' is a 1924 novel by English author E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of 20th century English liter ...
'', where the novel's hero Cyril Fielding contrasts what he perceives as lack of equilibrium in Indian buildings with the perfection of Italian architecture: Japanese artist
Hirohiko Araki is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his long-running series ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', which began publication in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' in 1987 and has over 120 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling ...
features the church in chapter 516 of his long-running manga ''
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1987 to 2004, and was transferred to the monthly ''seinen'' manga ...
'' (within the story arc '' Golden Wind''). Bruno Bucciarati,
caporegime A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to capo or informally referred to as "captain" or "skipper", is a rank used in the Mafia (both the Sicilian Mafia and Italian-American Mafia) for a '' made member'' of an Italian crime family who he ...
of the Passione Italian criminal organization, and Trish Una, daughter of the organization's
Don Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name *Don, Benin, a town in Benin *Don, Dang, a vill ...
, receive instructions to ascend the bell tower by lift to meet the boss. However, the Don attacks the pair in the elevator before they reach the top of the tower and abducts Trish, causing Bucciarati to pursue him to a confrontation in the church's basement. The Don defeats and seemingly kills Bucciarati after an extended bout of combat, though protagonist Giorno Giovanna arrives to resuscitate Bucciarati and escape with both him and Trish.


See also

*
San Giorgio Maggiore (Monet series) Claude Monet painted a series of paintings of the island-monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. They were begun in 1908 during the artist's only visit to the city. One of the best known is ''San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk'', which exists in ...
*
History of early modern period domes Domes built in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries relied primarily on empirical techniques and oral traditions rather than the architectural treatises of the time, but the study of dome structures changed radically due to developments in mathemati ...
*
List of buildings and structures in Venice This is a list of buildings and structures in Venice, Italy. A * Ala Napoleonica * Arsenal * Ateneo Veneto B * Biblioteca Marciana C * Ca' da Mosto * Ca' d'Oro * Ca' Farsetti * Ca' Foscari * Ca' Loredan * Ca' Pesaro * Ca' Rezzonico * ...
*
List of churches in Venice This is a complete list of churches in Venice classified by "sestiere" in which the city is divided. These are Cannaregio, San Polo, Dorsoduro (including the Giudecca and Isola Sacca Fisola), Santa Croce, San Marco (including San Giorgi ...


Notes


References

* Boucher, Bruce ''Andrea Palladio: the Architect in his Time''. (Abbeville Press, 1998) * Cooper, Tracy E. ''Palladio's Venice: Architecture and Society in a Renaissance Republic''. (Yale University Press. New Haven & London. 2005) * Goy, Richard ''Venice, the City and its Architecture''. (Phaidon. 1997) * * Honour, Hugh ''The Companion Guide to Venice''. (2nd edition, 1977) * Perocco, Guido & Salvadori, A. ''Civiltà di Venezia Vol 1: Le Origini e il Medio Evo''. (4th edition. Venice, 1986) * * Touring Club Italiano ''Guida d’Italia del Touring Club Italiano – Venezia''. 3° ed. * Vianello, S. (a cura di) ''Le chiese di Venezia''. (Electa, 1993)


External links


Artworks in San Giorgio Maggiore
{{Authority control Andrea Palladio church buildings Giorgio Maggiore Roman Catholic churches completed in 1610 Renaissance architecture in Venice 1610 establishments in the Republic of Venice 1610 establishments in Italy Church buildings with domes Minor basilicas in Veneto 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy