The Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli, commonly known as the Church of Miracles, is a jewel-like Renaissance church located in the Cannaregio sestiere of Venice, Italy, at Campo Santa Maria Nova, 30121, near the Rio dei Miracoli and the Fondamente Nove. Built between 1481 and 1489 by architect Pietro Lombardo and his sons, it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary in honor of a miraculous icon, the Madonna dei Miracoli, which attracted pilgrims and donations. Renowned for its exquisite marble-clad façade, intimate interior, and pioneering Renaissance design, it is often called the “marble jewel box” of Venice for its refined beauty and polychrome ornamentation. Managed by the Chorus Venezia association, it remains an active parish church under the Patriarchate of Venice, celebrated for its architectural harmony and historical significance.
Santa Maria dei Miracoli was commissioned in 1481 following the
growing devotion to a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, painted around
1400 by an unknown artist, possibly from the Veneto-Byzantine school.
The icon, originally housed in a private home near the Calle della
Madonna, was credited with miracles, including healings, prompting the
Venetian Senate to fund a dedicated church. Pietro Lombardo, a sculptor
and architect from Lombardy, was chosen to design the church, with
contributions from his sons Tullio and Antonio. Construction began in
1481 and was completed by 1489, a rapid timeline reflecting the urgency
of the devotion, as noted by historian Deborah Howard in Venice & the
East.
The church was built on land provided by the Amadi family,
with additional funding from noble patrons like the Contarini and
Morosini families, who also supported San Michele in Isola and Ca’
Rezzonico. Its design, blending Renaissance classicism with Venetian
polychrome aesthetics, marked a shift from the Gothic style of Palazzo
Molin and San Carmini, aligning with San Michele in Isola’s early
Renaissance style. The church served as a pilgrimage site, with the
Madonna dei Miracoli icon enshrined on the main altar, and was
associated with a small convent of Poor Clare nuns, reflecting the
charitable focus seen in Santa Maria della Carità and San Giuseppe di
Castello.
During the Napoleonic occupation (1797–1815), the
church avoided suppression, unlike Santa Margherita or Santa Maria della
Carità, retaining its parish status due to its devotional significance.
In the 19th century, under Austrian rule, minor restorations addressed
acqua alta (high tide flooding) damage to the marble façade. In 1998, it
joined the Chorus Venezia association, ensuring its preservation through
efforts similar to those for San Zulian, San Giuseppe di Castello, San
Geremia, and San Carmini. Restorations in the 1980s and 2010s, overseen
by the Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici, protected the marble
cladding and interior artworks. Today, Santa Maria dei Miracoli remains
an active parish church, hosting services and cultural visits, with its
compact beauty making it a beloved landmark in Cannaregio.
Santa Maria dei Miracoli is located in the Cannaregio sestiere,
Venice’s northern district, known for its vibrant community, Jewish
Ghetto, and proximity to the lagoon. Positioned at Campo Santa Maria
Nova, a small square near the Rio dei Miracoli, it is close to Chiesa
dei Santi Apostoli (400 meters), Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena (600
meters), Chiesa di San Geremia (700 meters), Palazzo Gussoni Grimani
Della Vida (500 meters), and Ca’ d’Oro (400 meters). Its canal-side
setting offers a serene ambiance, aligning with San Raffaele Arcangelo
and San Giuseppe di Castello, contrasting with the bustling San Marco
sites like San Moisè, San Zulian, Zecca, Negozio Olivetti, and Palazzo
Loredan, or the canal-front grandeur of Palazzo Balbi, Palazzo Barbarigo
della Terrazza, Palazzo Barbarigo Minotto, Peggy Guggenheim Collection,
Ca’ Rezzonico, Santa Maria della Carità, and Ca’ Bembo.
The
nearest vaporetto stop is Fondamente Nove (Lines 4.1, 4.2, 12, 13, 300
meters), providing access to San Michele in Isola and Murano. Ca’ d’Oro
(Line 1, 400 meters) and Rialto (Lines 1, 2, N, 600 meters) are also
accessible. The Santa Lucia railway station is 1.3 km away, reachable by
vaporetto or a 15-minute walk, and Piazza San Marco is 1 km away, a
12-minute walk via the Strada Nova. The Alilaguna service to Venice
Marco Polo Airport (13 km) is available at Fondamente Nove. The church’s
location in Cannaregio offers a quieter experience than San Marco’s San
Moisè or Dorsoduro’s Ca’ Rezzonico, but it is more accessible than the
isolated San Michele in Isola.
As part of the Chorus Venezia
circuit, Santa Maria dei Miracoli is open Monday through Saturday from
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (last entry 4:45 PM), closed on Sundays, January 1,
Easter, August 15, and December 25. Admission is €3, or free with the
Chorus Pass (€12 for 15 churches), which includes San Moisè, San Zulian,
San Giuseppe di Castello, La Maddalena, San Geremia, and San Carmini.
Modest attire is required, and photography without flash is permitted.
The church may close during religious services, such as Sunday Mass
(10:00 AM) or the Feast of the Nativity of Mary (September 8). Visitors
should check the Chorus Venezia website (www.chorusvenezia.org) and tide
forecasts via the Hi!Tide app, as acqua alta may affect access. The
intimate campo and canal views enhance the visitor experience, offering
a tranquil contrast to San Moisè or Zecca.
Santa Maria dei Miracoli is a masterpiece of early Venetian
Renaissance architecture, designed by Pietro Lombardo with contributions
from his sons Tullio and Antonio. Its compact size (approximately 250
m²) and marble-clad exterior distinguish it as a “jewel box,” blending
classical proportions with Venetian polychrome aesthetics, as praised by
John Ruskin in The Stones of Venice. The church’s design influenced
later Renaissance works like San Zulian and San Michele in Isola.
Exterior
The façade, facing Campo Santa Maria Nova, is a
harmonious Renaissance composition entirely clad in polychrome marble
(pink, white, and grey), a rare feature in Venice. Key elements include:
Lower Register: A rectangular portal with Corinthian pilasters and a
semicircular lunette, featuring a relief of the Madonna and Child,
attributed to Pietro Lombardo (c. 1481). The marble cladding, with
geometric inlays, reflects Byzantine influences, as noted by Deborah
Howard.
Upper Register: A large rose window framed by marble arches,
flanked by two smaller circular windows, topped by a curved pediment
with a cross. The polychrome marble creates a luminous effect,
contrasting with the brick façades of San Carmini or San Geremia.
Side Façades: Also marble-clad, with pilasters and arched niches
containing statues of saints, possibly by Tullio Lombardo, adding
sculptural depth.
Barrel-Vaulted Roof: The exterior’s curved
roofline, covered in lead, enhances the church’s jewel-like appearance,
unique among Venetian churches.
The campanile, a modest 15th-century
structure, features a brick tower with arched openings and a conical
spire, less prominent than those of San Geremia or San Carmini. The
façade’s Renaissance elegance contrasts with the Gothic fiorito of
Palazzo Molin, Palazzo Loredan, Ca’ Bembo, and Santa Maria della Carità,
the Baroque opulence of San Moisè, San Geremia, and Ca’ Rezzonico, and
the modernist simplicity of Negozio Olivetti.
Interior
The
interior is a single-nave structure with a raised presbytery and a small
apse, designed for intimacy and devotion. The marble-clad walls and
ceiling create a luminous, unified space. Key features include:
Ceiling: A coffered wooden ceiling, painted with 50 panels of Prophets
and Saints by Vincenzo dalle Destre and Lattanzio da Bassano (c. 1489),
framed in gold, creating a celestial effect, less vibrant than the
frescoes in San Carmini or San Geremia.
Main Altar: A marble
baldacchino, designed by Pietro Lombardo, enshrines the Madonna dei
Miracoli icon, flanked by statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul by
Tullio Lombardo (c. 1485). The altar’s intricate carvings rival the
sculptural work in San Michele in Isola.
Presbytery Stairs: A double
staircase with marble balustrades, leading to the raised altar, is
adorned with reliefs of angels and floral motifs, a hallmark of
Lombardo’s workshop.
Side Walls: Marble panels with geometric inlays
and small niches containing statues of saints, creating a cohesive
aesthetic, unlike the ornate interiors of San Moisè or Ca’ Rezzonico.
The interior’s Renaissance purity contrasts with the Baroque richness of
San Carmini, San Geremia, and Ca’ Rezzonico, aligning with the classical
restraint of San Michele in Isola and the simplicity of La Maddalena and
Nome di Gesù. Its marble-clad intimacy makes it a unique space, distinct
from the adapted interiors of Santa Maria della Carità and Santa
Margherita.
Santa Maria dei Miracoli is renowned for its architectural artistry
rather than extensive paintings, with the Madonna dei Miracoli icon and
Lombardo sculptures as its primary treasures. Key features include:
Madonna dei Miracoli Icon (c. 1400): The main altar’s miraculous
painting, depicting the Virgin and Child, is attributed to an unknown
Veneto-Byzantine artist, with a serene, iconic style that inspired the
church’s construction, as noted by Giulio Lorenzetti.
Ceiling Panels
by Vincenzo dalle Destre and Lattanzio da Bassano (c. 1489): Fifty small
paintings of prophets and saints, set in a coffered ceiling, provide a
devotional backdrop, less dynamic than the frescoes in San Carmini
(Ricci) or San Geremia (Mengozzi Colonna).
Sculptures by Tullio
Lombardo (c. 1485): Marble statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul on the
altar, with delicate reliefs of angels and virtues, showcase the
Lombardo workshop’s finesse, comparable to San Michele in Isola’s Rizzo
statue.
Marble Reliefs: Intricate carvings on the presbytery stairs
and walls, depicting floral motifs and cherubs, add sculptural richness,
similar to the reliefs in Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni.
The
church’s modest artworks contrast with the masterpiece-laden San
Apostoli (Tiepolo), San Giuseppe di Castello (Veronese), San Zulian
(Veronese), San Carmini (Cima), Santa Maria della Carità (Giorgione),
Ca’ Rezzonico (Tiepolo), and Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni
(Carpaccio), aligning with the sparse decor of San Biagio, Nome di Gesù,
Santa Margherita, San Michele in Isola, Ca’ Bembo, Palazzo Loredan, and
Zecca.
Santa Maria dei Miracoli embodies Venice’s early Renaissance
architectural innovation and Marian devotion, reflecting the city’s
spiritual and artistic vitality in the late 15th century. The Madonna
dei Miracoli icon, a pilgrimage focus, parallels the devotional roles of
San Geremia (Saint Lucy relics) and San Carmini (scapular devotion). The
Lombardo family’s design, blending classical and Venetian aesthetics,
influenced later architects like Sansovino (San Zulian, Zecca) and set a
precedent for Renaissance churches like San Michele in Isola. The
Contarini and Morosini patronage mirrors the aristocratic support seen
in San Zulian, San Giuseppe, San Geremia, San Carmini, Ca’ Rezzonico,
Palazzo Loredan, and Ca’ Bembo.
The church’s integration into the
Chorus Venezia circuit ensures its preservation, akin to efforts for San
Carmini, San Geremia, and San Giuseppe di Castello, contrasting with the
modern adaptations of Santa Maria della Carità (museum), Santa
Margherita (auditorium), Ca’ Rezzonico (museum), Palazzo Barbarigo
Minotto (opera venue), Ca’ Bembo (university), and Negozio Olivetti
(design museum). Its location in Cannaregio, near the Fondamente Nove,
ties it to Venice’s maritime and communal heritage, similar to San
Geremia and La Maddalena, contrasting with the civic roles of Palazzo
Loredan, Palazzo Balbi, and Zecca, or the tourist-heavy San Marco sites
like San Moisè and Negozio Olivetti.
Santa Maria dei Miracoli is a cherished destination for art and
architecture enthusiasts, praised in Tripadvisor reviews (4.8/5, ranked
among Cannaregio’s top attractions) for its “exquisite marble façade”
and “intimate, jewel-like interior.” Visitors highlight the “luminous
polychrome marble” and “serene campo setting,” though some note the
small size limits exploration time (20–30 minutes), recommending the
Chorus Pass (€12) for cost-effective access with churches like San
Geremia or San Carmini. The church’s quiet ambiance, free from the
crowds of San Moisè or Zecca, is a draw, though acqua alta can disrupt
visits, requiring checks via the Hi!Tide app.
The Campo Santa
Maria Nova, with its canal views and nearby cafés, enhances the
experience, offering a tranquil contrast to Piazza San Marco (1 km
away). Nearby attractions include:
Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli (400
meters): Renaissance-Baroque church with Tiepolo paintings.
Ca’ d’Oro
(400 meters): Gothic palace with Galleria Giorgio Franchetti.
Chiesa
di Santa Maria Maddalena (600 meters): Neoclassical church.
San
Geremia (700 meters): Baroque church with Saint Lucy relics.
Dining
options like Pasticceria Dal Mas (500 meters) or Osteria Al Cantinon
(600 meters) offer Venetian cuisine.
For a family of four seeking
affordable three-star accommodation in Cannaregio, options include Hotel
Antiche Figure (700 meters) or Hotel Principe (800 meters), bookable via
Booking.com or Tripadvisor. Visitors should use the Chorus Pass, plan
weekday visits to avoid Sunday closures, and pair the experience with
Cannaregio’s attractions like Ca’ d’Oro or the Jewish Ghetto for a
comprehensive Venetian journey.