San Giorgio Maggiore
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The island of San Giorgio Maggiore was first occupied by Benedictine monks in the 10th century. In 1110 the body of Saint Stephen was transferred from Constantinople to Venice, where it was delivered by Doge Ordelaffo Falier into the charge of the monks on San Giorgio. The monastic complex was destroyed in an earthquake in 1223 and the buildings we see today date from the 15th to the 17th century.
In 1565, Andrea Palladio, who had just finished work on the monk's refectory, received the commission to rebuild their church. The architect carefully designed the façade so that it would be clearly visible from a distance, making it the perfect counterpoint to the buildings on the other side of the bacino. The main body of the church was built in the classical style between 1566 and 1576. Palladio died in 1580 and the façade was erected between 1607 and 1610 by Simone Sorella. The statuary in the niches is by Giulio del Moro. The interior takes the form of a Latin Cross with a nave and broad side aisles. The square crossing, which supports a drum and cupola, is flanked by transepts. The nave extends for one bay beyond the crossing, beyond which is the square chancel and finally the choir. The wooden choir stalls are decorated with beautiful bas-relief carvings of scenes from The Life of Saint Benedict, the work of the Flemish sculptor Albert van der Brulle. The high altar was designed by Antonio Vassilacchi (better known as L'Aliense) and the bronze statues of the four evangelists are the work of Girolamo Campagna (1591-3). The presbytery is home to Tintoretto's famous depiction of The Last Supper. The monastery has two grand cloisters. The oldest is the Chiostro degli Allori (Cloister of the Laurels), possibly the work of Giovanni and Andrea Buora, while the Chiostro dei Cipressi (Cloister of the Cypresses) is the work of Palladio. The church's campanile (admission fee), which commands spectacular views of the lagoon, was first built in 1467, but collapsed three hundred years later. It was rebuilt, at the end of the 18th century, by Benedetto Buratti, who modelled his design on that of the Campanile di San Marco. Ruskin was not a fan of San Giorgio Maggiore: 'It is impossible to conceive a design more gross, more barbarous, more childish in conception, more servile in plagiarism, more insipid in result, more contemptible under every point of rational regard.' |
San Giorgio Maggiore
Interior of San Giorgio Maggiore
The choir
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