The Church of the Jesuits in Venice

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Deutsche Zusammenfassung am Ende

On the northern side of Venice, in the Cannaregio district, you can find the Jesuits Church, which is richly ornate, and austere at the same time.

The order of the Jesuits was founded in 1534 by Ignatius of Loyola. The Spanish Saint had a military background and conceived the order as a well-organized structure open to men who wanted to “serve as soldiers of God”. Their aim was “the defense and propagation of the faith”.

Their sacral buildings are usually very imposing, with overwhelming decorations, aiming to show the power of the Catholic Church.

Jesuits, interior

In Venice the Jesuits wanted to show their connections with the Venetian government as well as with the Vatican. The construction was commissioned to the best architect (Domenico Rossi) and artists (Louis Dorigny, Giuseppe Torretti) of that time.

Gesuiti church, detail of angel

The interior is covered by an extraordinary variety of marbles, part of them are carved and inlaid (like the one by the altar that looks like a carpet). Black and white marble inlaid on the columns looks like fabric.
The altar has a baldacchino with barley-twist columns and concealed lighting.

Gesuiti church, main altar

The ceiling is covered with gilded plasterwork and frescoes.

Gesuiti church, ceiling

Among the artworks in the Gesuiti church there is an Assumption of the Virgin Mary by Tintoretto and an extraordinary Martyrdom of St. Lawrence by Titian. The painting (1548-57), made in a late phase of Titian’s life, when the artist couldn’t see very well and used his hands to put colors on the canvas, is one of the most astonishing night scene, of European Renaissance Art.

Titian, Martyrdom of St. Lawrence, 1548-57

The Gesuiti Church is not as famous as the Frari or San Zaccaria but it is one of those many hidden ‘jewels’ that make Venice so special at every step.

Text auf deutsch
Auf der Nordseite von Venedig, im Stadtteil Cannaregio, befindet sich die reich verzierte und gleichzeitig strenge Jesuitenkirche.
Der Orden der Jesuiten wurde 1534 von Ignatius von Loyola gegründet. Der spanische Heilige hatte einen militärischen Hintergrund und konzipierte den Orden als eine gut organisierte Struktur, die Männern offen stand, die “als Soldaten Gottes dienen” wollten.
Ihre sakralen Gebäude sind normalerweise sehr imposant, mit überwältigenden Verzierungen, um die Macht der katholischen Kirche zu demonstrieren.

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Trasfigurazione Tiziano

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Sacral Beauty in Venetian churches

 

Veronese Ester

San Sebastiano, The Coronation of Ester, Paolo Veronese

In spite of the confusion and the thousands of people in the narrow alleyways, there are still places where you can hide from crowds and noises: churches in Venice are a real oasis of peace and beauty.

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The Sala dell’Albergo restored: thanks to Save Venice

Accademia Sala albergo

Save Venice, the American Committee that supports the artistic heritage of Venice by sponsoring the preservation of countless works of art, made possible this important restoration of the Sala dell’Albergo at the Accademia Galleries. The Sala dell’Albergo was originally used as a meeting room by the board of the Scuola della Carità, the charitable institution today part of the group of buildings that host the art collection.

The Accademia Galleries host the largest collection in the world of Venetian painting. You can see masterpieces by Titian, Bellini, Giorgione, Tintoretto, Carpaccio, Veronese, and many other great artists from the 14th to the 19th century.

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Restoration at Titian's Presentation

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