The church of San Nicola da Tolentino known as dei Tolentini is a 16th-17th century Catholic place of worship in the city of Venice, in the Santa Croce district, not far from Piazzale Roma. The adjoining convent of the Theatines is now the seat of the IUAV University of Venice.
The church was designed and built by Vincenzo Scamozzi between 1591
and 1602 on commission from the Theatines, who lived in the adjoining
convent until the Napoleonic suppression, and were therefore called
Tolentini.
Subsequently, Andrea Tirali added a pronaos with
tympanum and six Corinthian columns to the unfinished façade
(1706-1714).
As in the case of the church of San Salvador, this
church too was hit during the Austrian bombardments of 1849: a
cannonball, which fell in front of the main altar, breaking through the
fake dome, is now embedded in the facade, as a reminder of the episode.
Since 2010, united with the parish of San Pantalon, it has been the
seat of the university pastoral care of Venice.
It is the
official seat of the "Baroque Mosaic Orchestra" and of the "Royal
Quintet", whose conductor and titular organist in the church has been,
since 2002, Maestro Marco Basso.
The interior of the church is decorated with 17th century paintings.
There are works by Jacopo Palma il Giovane and Padovanino.
The
doges Giovanni I Corner, Francesco Corner, Giovanni II Corner and Paolo
Renier are buried here. The funeral monument of the patriarch
Gianfrancesco Morosini was executed by the Genoese sculptor Filippo
Parodi.
The Roman-style altar in polychrome marble panels, with
the large tabernacle in the shape of a small temple as an allegory of
the Holy Sepulchre, was designed by Baldassarre Longhena. The two
adoring angels and six caryatid angels are by Giusto Le Court.
Pipe organ
The church houses the almost totally intact organ built by
Pietro Nachini in 1754, located in the wooden choir loft in the apse
decorated by two winged putti in gilded wood on the sides. The case of
the instrument has decorations in chiseled wood depicting two sheets
descending from the center of the tympanum that overlooks the case,
ending in the lateral wings of the instrument; wooden sculptures of wind
instruments and original antique stringed instruments of fine
craftsmanship hang from this finely painted gold decoration, also
painted in gold.
Characteristics
Window console with knob
registers and manual return, arranged in two rows on the right side with
manual "TIRATUTTI".
Only the register of the Contrabbassi 16' and
Octaves of C. 8' on the pedal are interlocking with spring return.
Fully mechanical transmission.
Pipes on the façade arranged as a cusp
with wings, lined mouths with a "shield" upper lip, internal pipes with
a "mitre-shaped" upper lip.
45-note keyboard with short first octave,
boxwood frets, chromatics covered with inlaid ebony.
Diatonic keys
with "lunette" working.
Lectern pedalboard of 17 notes with short
first octave.
18th pedal, 6 note snare in the Double Bass 16'.
Pull windchests with "entering" sticks for the manual, with valve for
the pedal.
The stop of the Royal Trumpet 8' al Pedale has a
windchest, subject to the air released by the general butterfly valve
Single lantern bellows (not original) powered by an electric fan,
regulated by a curtain valve and flow anticipator, with a maximum
leakage valve.
Werkmeister type overall temperament with medium pitch
of A3 at 441 Hz (436 in winter and 446 in summer), originally at
430...440 Hz, one of the lowest tuning forks used in Venice in the 18th
century.