The church of Santa Maria della Fava, originally Santa Maria della
Consolazione, is a religious building in the city of Venice, located in
the Castello district.
The church is located a few steps from
Campo San Bartolomeo, near the Rialto.
The initial dedication to Santa Maria della Consolazione was soon
replaced with the current name, due to the small bridge located in front
of her, called della Fava. According to the popular saying, it was
attributed to it due to the presence of a pastry shop nearby, but
probably because it was commissioned by the Fava family, originally from
Ferrara.
The church is located near San Lio and was commissioned
by the parishioners who lived there, to house a painting of the Madonna
housed in a wall of Ca' Dolce. It was finished in 1500.
In 1662
it was placed under the jurisdiction of the Procurators of San Marco, to
then pass to the Congregation of the Oratory of San Filippo Neri.
At the beginning of the eighteenth century the old church was
demolished to make room for the new structure by Antonio Gaspari.
The church was finished in 1750 by Giorgio Massari who built the
apse; in the same year the interiors also saw the conclusion.
The facade of the church, which overlooks the Campo de la Fava, is
unfinished, with the exception of the door surmounted by a marble
tympanum in the Baroque style. On its sides there are two large
semicircular niches, both left empty and unadorned. On the sides of the
apse there are two tall bell towers, also left unfinished.
The
interior of the building consists of a single nave along which there are
three chapels on each side alternating with walls with Corinthian
columns.
The eight statues of saints and evangelists by Giuseppe
Bernardi, master of Antonio Canova placed along the nave are noteworthy.
Also by the same author are the reliefs depicting Episodes from the life
of San Filippo Neri.
The interior of the church also houses some
canvases: by Giambattista Tiepolo are the paintings Sant'Anna, the
Virgin Child and San Gioacchino, the Vision of San Filippo Neri,
however, is by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta.
The apse has a
quadrangular plan and is covered by a dome without a drum. At the center
of it there is the Baroque high altar, with the sculptures of two
angels, works by Giovanni Maria Morlaiter, on the sides of the
tabernacle. Close to the back wall, above a choir loft, there is a pipe
organ dating back to 1754 and built by the Serassi firm inserted in a
solemn wooden case with gilding.