San Francesco della Vigna

Have you ever wondered why a church in Venice is named after a vineyard? San Francesco della Vigna, the church that stands before you now, is evidence of the rich history of Venice and its devotion to the holy, but also its strong connection to nature, to the beauty that can be found on land as well as at sea. This magnificent church, with its elegant white marble facade, was built on a vineyard donated by Marco Ziani in 1253. San Francesco della Vigna, also known as “Vineyard of Saint Francis,” originally stood on a small chapel that marked the spot where Saint Mark, the patron saint of Venice, was shipwrecked. The first church at the site was a triple-nave Gothic church built by Marino da Pisa. But by the 16th century, the church was in need of repair, so Doge Andrea Gritti, whose family palace stood next to the church, decided to rebuild it. Jacopo Sansovino designed a sober Renaissance style building, but it was Andrea Palladio who ended up designing the final facade, a masterpiece of architectural innovation. Palladio addressed the challenge of linking the central nave with the side aisles in an innovative manner, by placing both the central and the side columns on the same high plinth, but making the central columns taller and wider. The facade also features two large bronze statues of Moses and Saint Paul, sculpted by Tiziano Aspetti.
The interior is designed in the simple style of a Franciscan church with plain Istrian marble Doric pilasters and an alabaster sculpture of Saint Louis of Toulouse and a Gothic painting of the Madonna of humility. The chapels of the church house masterpieces that both were made for this church as well as works moved here in the 19th century from other churches, oratories, and monasteries. You’ll find masterpieces of Tintoretto, Palma the Younger, and Bellini here, just to name a few.