San Moisè
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The church of San Moisè is dedicated to the prophet Moses. The Venetians, following the Byzantine practise, often canonised Old Testament prophets. The first church was built in the 10th century by Moisè Venier and dedicated to his name-saint. The current church dates back to a rebuilding in 1632.
The exuberant and elaborate façade, which was added fifty years later, was funded by the Fini family, and is thought to be the work of Alessandro Tremignon. The bust of Vincenzo Fini, who was made Procurator of Saint Mark's Basilica in 1687, is perched high above the central door. It sits on an obelisk, which is flanked by four saints and two camels. Ruskin was unimpressed: "...the frightful façade of San Moisè, one of the basest examples of the basest school of the Renaissance." The interior of the church (an aisle-less nave with a chancel flanked by two chapels) is dominated by Heinrich Meyring's (a.k.a. Arrigo Marengo) huge sculptural set-piece, which depicts Moses receiving the Tablets on Mount Sinai. San Moisè is the burial place of the Scottish economist, speculator and arch-gambler John Law (1671-1729). |
San Moise
Interior of San Moise
Bust of Vincenzo Fini
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