Venice, Church of Saint Mary of the Friars
Venice, Basilica of Santa Maria gloriosa dei Frari, by Bartolomeo Viviani
The first church of Santa Maria Gloriosa and the adjoining monastery formed the Franciscan friars in the 13th century, having reclaimed the land. At that time it was a small church; in a hundred years it has expanded twice to accommodate the faithfuls.
So Campo dei Frari was also built, the place where today stands the Church and also a well of fresh water.
The construction work ended at the end of the 15th century and the church was consecrated in 1492 to the name of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. With the arrival of Napoleon the church was stripped and in 1810 the large religious community of the Frari was suppressed. In 1926, under Pope Pius XI it was again a basilica, though a minor one.
The basilica is rich in works of art, including two paintings of Titian, of which the best known is the altarpiece of the Assumption. But there are paintings and sculptures of the most popular masters of Venice: Bellini, Bartolomeo Bon, Rizzo, Veneziano and Sansovino. Here lie many Doges, but also city prosecutors Antonio Canova and Titian himself. There is a beautiful double choir, based on the existence of two opposing bodies, typical of the style of music in Venice of centuries XVI and XVII. These historical organs are the only ones still operating in the history of Venice and is among the few ones in Italy.
scritto da Chiara Guzzetti - ultima modifica il 05/11/2021
