The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore (St. George) is located on the island of the same name. The island is a great place to take the best photos, enjoy the beauty of Venice, and immerse yourself in its history. The first church was built in 790 on the “Island of Cypresses” (it was previously called that because there were many cypress trees growing there). In 982, Doge Memo gave the island to the Benedictines and ordered the founding of a monastery there. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1223. The monastery was restored.
In 1521 they decided to build a new temple. This was carried out in the years 1566-1610. The architect was Andrea Palladio. After his death, the construction of the temple was completed by his student Vincenzo Scamozzi. The island was in Benedictine hands until the early 19th century, when Napoleon declared it a military zone, closed it and built there artillery depots and two small towers, which can be seen from the beach of Riva del Schiavoni.
In 1951, Count Vittorio Cini bought the temple and restored it. The façade of the basilica is very beautiful. It is built of white stone. It is decorated with four columns. The remaining walls are built of red brick, creating a sharp contrast. It should be noted that this is one of Palladio's most important works. During construction, he used classical elements.
The bell tower was built in the style of late Christian classicism and has a square shape. This is a relatively new building, since its predecessor was destroyed at the end of the 18th century. If you take the elevator to this 60-meter bell tower, you will see a wonderful view (the ascent costs 8 euros for adults, 4 euros for children):
As soon as you enter the temple, you will find yourself in a spacious and bright hall. In the niches there are pedestals of the patrons of the temple - St. Giorgio (St. George) and Stefano.
The main sanctuary was created by the Italian sculptor Girolamo Campania. It is decorated with the figure of Jesus standing on a sphere, and the sphere is held by four apostles - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
On the sides of the presbytery hang two paintings by Tintoretto: “The Last Supper” and “Heavenly Manna”:
Inside the central altar is a magnificent altarpiece, skillfully carved from wood by the Belgian Albert van den Brule and Gasparo Gatti from Bergamo. They depict episodes from the life of St. Benedict:
On the wall of the refectory hangs a reproduction of the famous painting by Paolo Veronese "The Marriage in Cana of Galilee" (Le Nozze de Cana). The original was stolen by Napoleon during the occupation of the island, and can now be seen in the Louvre.
On the island you can see the Longen Library, which houses original bookcases from 1671:
There is also a new library equipped with modern technologies Nuovo Manica Lunga:
If you go to the far end of the church, you will come to the glass museum - Le Stanze del Vetro. Admission is free.
On the territory of a former monastery is located the Giorgio Chini Foundation, one of the most prestigious international cultural institutions. The foundation has its own research programs and institutes on Venetian history, art history, music, theater and drama.
In the foundation complex you will see 3 gardens, among them the labyrinth garden of Jorge Luis Borges. If you look at it from above, you will see that the name of the famous Argentine writer "Borges" emerges from plants, figures and other objects.
You can reach the island of San Giorgio Maggiore by vaporetto. Just one stop from Piazza San Marco.
© 2019-2024 All rights reserved
Book your hotel cheaply!
Travel cheaply!
