Gleaming white marble rises majestically from the lagoon. This is the Chiesa arcipretale di San Giorgio. Andrea Palladio designed this 16th-century Benedictine church. It stands on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore.
The Chiesa arcipretale di San Giorgio’s history stretches back to 790. A church was first built here then. In 982, Doge Tribuno Memmo gifted the island to the Benedictine order. They established a monastery. An earthquake tragically destroyed all buildings in 1223.
The church and monastery were rebuilt. However, this church wasn’t in the same spot. It stood farther back near a small campo. Cloisters once stood in front but were torn down in 1516. The monks considered rebuilding the church from 1521.
Palladio arrived in Venice in 1560. He improved the monastery’s refectory. In 1565, he was asked to design a new church. The design was approved in 1566. The foundation stone was laid with the Pope present that same year. Palladio died in 1580. The main structure was complete by 1575. Only the choir and facade remained unfinished. The interior decoration followed later.
The choir’s design is attributed to Palladio. It was constructed between 1580 and 1589. Simone Sorella initially oversaw the facade. Construction began in 1599. The stonemason was instructed to follow Palladio’s model. Minor changes were allowed. It was finished in 1610.
A bell tower stood here since 1467. It collapsed in 1774. By 1791, it was rebuilt in neoclassical style. Easy ramps lead to the top. Today, a lift is also available. The view of Venice from above is spectacular.
The facade is brilliantly white. Palladio solved the challenge of adapting a classical temple facade to a Christian church. Christian churches typically feature a high nave and low side aisles. Palladio superimposed two facades. One has a wide pediment over the nave and aisles. Pilasters seemingly support it. The other has a narrower pediment over the nave. Giant engaged columns on pedestals support it. Statues of Saint George and Saint Stephen flank the central portal. The church is dedicated to them both.
Inside, light floods the space. Massive engaged columns and pilasters line white walls. The interior merges a basilica nave with a cruciform plan. Two large Tintoretto paintings depict the Eucharist’s institution. They hang on either side of the presbytery. They can be seen from the altar rail. These are The Last Supper and The Fall of Manna.
The Benedictine monks maintained control over the chapels. They didn’t sell them off to families. They had sufficient income from their properties. Some altars were given to distinguished families. However, the monks controlled their decoration.
The Bollani family held the chapel to the right of the high altar. Domenico Bollani was an ambassador to England and later a Bishop. Work stalled after his death. It remained unfinished with a poor altarpiece in 1619. A new painting was substituted in 1693. Finally, in 1708, it acquired the Virgin and Child with Saints by Sebastiano Ricci.
The Morosini family was responsible for the altar to the sanctuary’s left. Dedicated to St Andrew, the altarpiece is by Jacopo and Domenico Tintoretto. It shows the Risen Christ with Vincenzo Morosini and his family.
The monks retained the altars in the transepts. The south transept displays Jacopo and Domenico Tintoretto’s Coronation of the Virgin with Saints. The first altar on the nave’s right features Jacopo Bassano’s Adoration of the Shepherds.
San Giorgio Maggiore stands as a testament to Palladio’s genius. Its gleaming facade and light-filled interior offer a serene escape. Take a moment to appreciate the art and history within these walls.