The Church of San Salvador: a Mirror of the rich 16th century Venetian Society.

Trasfigurazione Tiziano

In this church strategically located between Rialto and San Marco you can admire two late masterpieces by Titian. 

Titian painted the Transfiguration as well as the Annunciation for San Salvador in the 1560ies when he was over 70 years old and the world of his youth had deeply changed. Catholics and Protestants were fighting devastating wars in many areas of Europe. 

Annunciazione Tiziano

In the Transfiguration on the main altar, Jesus, while revealing his apostles that he is the Savior, is turning as shining as the sun.

In the Annunciation Mary is moving her veil as a sign that she accepts the words of Gabriel while behind the sky is opening revealing quires of putti and angels.
Both paintings are extremely theatrical, especially in the use of light that emphasizes the sudden presence of the divine in the world.

Carpaccio Emmaus

See the difference with the painting of the Banquet in Emmaus, made 50 years before (artist uncertain, maybe Carpaccio or a follower of the Bellini school). Everyone sits with dignity, the colors are bright and the moment is solemn.  It looks lik the representation of an elegant and self-confident society.

Among the most illustrious Venetians  buried in the church there was Caterina Corner, Queen of Cyprus, who was forced by her family to donate the island to the Venetian Republic and was then sent in exile on the hills of Asolo. She proved to be a real Queen by making out of her distant and small court a center of art and poetry, frequented by artists like Giorgione and poets like Bembo (one of the fathers of the Italian language).  See her monument on the right wall.

Caterina Corner

San Salvador is rich of art treasures and shows intersting aspects of 16th century Venice society. 

Deutscher Text
In dieser strategisch günstig zwischen Rialto und San Marco gelegenen Kirche können Sie zwei späte Meisterwerke von Tizian bewundern.Tizian malte die Verklärung sowie die Verkündigung für San Salvador in den 1560er Jahren, als er über 70 Jahre alt war und die Welt seiner Jugend sich tief verändert hatte. Katholiken und Protestanten führten in vielen Gebieten Europas verheerende Kriege.
Unter den berühmtesten in der Kirche begrabenen Venezianern befand sich Caterina Corner, Königin von Zypern, die von ihrer Familie gezwungen wurde, die Insel der venezianischen Republik zu spenden, und dann auf die Hügel von Asolo ins Exil geschickt wurde

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