Santa Maria Maddalena
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The church of Santa Maria Maddalena is often known simply as La Maddalena. Although a church has stood on this site since the 13th century, the building we see today only dates back to the 18th century. The architect was Tommaso Temanza, a native of Venice, and work started in 1763. The circular plan was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. Temanza died in 1789, before the church was complete (1790), and his ashes are interred within.
The interior of the church takes the form of a hexagonal with four chapels and a presbytery. Its most notable feature is, perhaps, the portal, which is embellished with, what look like, masonic symbols and the inscription: SAPIENTIA AEDIFICAVIT SIBI DOMUM (Wisdom hath builded her house, Proverbs 9:1). The church's 14th century bell tower was destroyed in 1888. La Maddalena enjoys the honour of being the last church to be built under the Venetian Republic, which came to an end in 1797. |
Santa Maria Maddalena
The Portal of Santa Maria Maddalena
Santa Maria Maddalena with its bell tower
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