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The church of Santa Maria di Nazareth, or church of the Scalzi, is a religious building in the city of Venice from the early eighteenth century. The work of Baldassarre Longhena but with the façade by Giuseppe Sardi, it is located in the Cannaregio district near the Venice Santa Lucia railway station.
Founding and Early History
The origins of the Scalzi Church trace
back to the arrival of the Discalced Carmelites in Venice. This reformed
branch of the Carmelite order, founded by Saint Teresa of Ávila and
Saint John of the Cross in the 16th century, emphasized poverty, prayer,
and simplicity, including going barefoot as a symbol of humility. The
order established a presence in Venice in 1633, when they acquired a
plot of land near the Grand Canal. However, some sources place their
arrival slightly later, in the 1670s, though the earlier date aligns
with records of their initial settlement. The Carmelites sought to build
a church and monastery to serve their community, obtaining permission
from the Venetian Senate to construct a sanctuary dedicated to Santa
Maria di Nazareth.
The site itself had prior religious history.
Before the Carmelites, the area was occupied by an earlier church and
monastery founded in the 11th century by the Friars of the Penitence of
Jesus Christ, also known as the "Sack Friars" due to their sackcloth
habits. This older foundation was suppressed or abandoned, allowing the
Carmelites to repurpose the land. The decision to build a new church
reflected the order's growing influence in Venice and their desire to
create a spiritual center that embodied their devotional practices,
particularly veneration of the Virgin Mary and Saint Teresa.
Construction Timeline and Architects
Construction of the church began
in the mid-17th century, marking it as one of the last major Baroque
projects in Venice. Work commenced around 1654–1660 under the design of
the renowned Venetian architect Baldassare Longhena, who was already
famous for works like the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute.
Longhena's involvement spanned from 1656 to 1672, during which he
oversaw the main structure's erection. The church was largely completed
by 1680, though the facade was added later.
The facade, a standout
feature in Venetian Late Baroque style, was financed by the nobleman
Gerolamo Cavazza and constructed between 1672 and 1680 by architect
Giuseppe Sardi. Sardi's design incorporated elaborate decorations,
including Corinthian columns, statues, and pediments, making it one of
the most ornate church fronts in Venice. Additional contributions came
from architects like Giuseppe Pozzo, who designed altars in specific
chapels, such as the Chapel Ruzzini and Chapel Manin. The overall
project was funded through donations from Venetian patrician families,
highlighting the church's ties to the city's elite.
The construction
process was not without challenges, including financial constraints and
the need to integrate the church into the dense urban fabric of
Cannaregio. By the late 17th century, the church stood as a complete
edifice, blending architectural grandeur with the Carmelites' spiritual
mission.
Notable Artworks and Artists
The church's artistic
highlights are dominated by works from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Giambattista Tiepolo, one of Venice's greatest painters, contributed
extensively. His major works included the vault fresco Translation of
the House of Loreto (1743–1745, with quadratura by Gerolamo Mengozzi
Colonna), decorations in the Chapel of St. Teresa (1727–1730), and the
Chapel of the Crucifix (1732–1733), featuring canvases like Apotheosis
of St. Teresa and Christ at Gethsemane. Tiepolo had prior ties to the
Carmelites, having painted Virgin of Mount Carmel for their church at
St. Aponal.
Sculptors like Bernardo Falconi (statues of saints and
bas-reliefs) and Heinrich Meyring (St. Theresa in Ecstasy, 1697) added
to the collection. Other artists include Giovanni Maria Morlaiter
(Crucifixion) and Ettore Tito, who contributed to later restorations.
Historical Events and Challenges
Throughout its history, the
Scalzi Church has faced significant events. In the 18th century, it
became a hub for Carmelite devotion, attracting pilgrims and patrons.
However, the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797 impacted religious
institutions, though the church survived suppression under Napoleonic
rule.
A major tragedy occurred during World War I on October 24,
1915, when an Austrian aerial bombardment destroyed the nave's vault,
obliterating Tiepolo's Translation of the House of Loreto fresco.
Fragments of this work were salvaged and are now in the Gallerie
dell'Accademia in Venice.
Restorations and Modern Developments
Restoration efforts followed the 1915 damage, with artist Ettore Tito
leading repairs from 1929 to 1933. Tito recreated the ceiling with new
frescoes and canvases, blending historical styles with modern techniques
to preserve the Baroque essence. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the
church has undergone periodic maintenance to address Venice's
environmental challenges, such as flooding and subsidence, though no
major modern expansions are recorded. Today, it remains an active place
of worship, open to visitors, and continues to represent the enduring
legacy of Venetian Baroque art and Carmelite spirituality.
The facade, financed by the nobleman Gerolamo Cavazza, was erected by Giuseppe Sardi between 1672 and 1680. The style is a late Venetian Baroque, divided into two orders and punctuated by coupled columns. The four statues of the first order, the Madonna and Child placed on the gable, and Saint Catherine of Siena in the niche to the left of the Madonna are by Bernardo Falconi. The niche on the right was occupied by a statue of St. Thomas Aquinas by Falconi himself.
The work Transport of the house of Loreto, a fresco by Giambattista
Tiepolo from 1743, was destroyed during an Austrian bombardment on 24
October 1915. It was in an attempt to repair this damage that, in the
period 1929-1933, Ettore Tito painted for the church two works: a canvas
of 100 square meters, and a fresco of 400 square meters. The remains of
the Transport of the house of Loreto and other surviving fragments of
the ceiling are now kept in the Gallerie dell'Accademia, where one of
the two sketches (oil on canvas) painted by Tiepolo as preparatory
models for the large lost fresco is also kept. There is also a
photograph of the ceiling by James Anderson and a copy by Mariano
Fortuny in the Museo Correr.
Counter facade
The organ was
built in the early 1900s by the Pugina brothers from Padua; above Santa
Teresa crowned by the Savior by Gregorio Lazzarini.
Presbytery
The main altar is the work of Jacopo Antonio Pozzo (or fra Giuseppe
Pozzo) as well as the wooden vestment of the sacristy. The presbytery is
surmounted by a canopy supported by twisted columns. The sumptuous
tabernacle of the table, sees the statue of the Madonna with putto and
prophets, coming from the island of Santa Maria di Nazareth, then
Lazzaretto.
The statues of twelve Sibyls, the work of Giuseppe
Torretto, Giovanni Marchiori, Pietro Baratta, Giuseppe and Paolo
Groppelli, are distributed, five on each side, on the side walls and two
lying on the arch of the canopy.
Giovanelli Chapel
Assigned to
the Giovanelli family, it is characterized by a rich seventeenth-century
altar by Ludovico David. The altarpiece shows a statue of St. John of
the Cross (one of the founders of the Order of Discalced Carmelites) by
Bernardo Falcone. On the seat rail: three cardinal Virtues, statues by
Tommaso Ruer.
Ruzzini Chapel
Assigned to the Ruzzini family.
The altar was built and designed by Giuseppe Pozzo. The altarpiece:
Ecstasy of St. Teresa (1697) by Heinrich Meyring. On the vault a fresco
of the Glory of Saint Teresa (1720-1725) by Giambattista Tiepolo. Side
walls: two paintings by Niccolò Bambini; the table on the left St.
Joseph appears to St. Teresa and frees her from a dangerous encounter
and on the right Miraculous Communion of St. Teresa (The consecrated
wafer miraculously detaches from the hands of the priest to fly away to
the Saint) (end of the 17th century).
Snail Chapel
Lumaca
Chapel, or Chapel of the Crucifix It was assigned to the Lumaca family.
On the altar a large 18th century marble crucifix, attributed to
Giovanni Maria Morlaiter. The antependium Christ falling under the cross
is also attributed to Morleiter.
Altar table: in a display case,
sculpture in colored wax depicting Christ among the thieves, the work of
some religious. In the vault the fresco Christ in the Garden of
Gethsemane (1732), by Giambattista Tiepolo.
Moray Chapel
Assigned to the Mora family. Built by Baldassare Longhena. The
altarpiece with four columns of black jasper shows a statue of St. John
the Baptist in Carrara marble (late 17th century) by Melchior Barthel. A
fresco on the ceiling represents the Eternal Father in Glory (17th
century) by Pietro Liberi. Giambattista Mora is buried at the foot of
the altar.
Manin Chapel
Here is buried the last doge of
Venice, Ludovico Manin, who died on 23 October 1802. The chapel was
built by his brother Giuseppe Pozzo. The altarpiece shows a sculpture of
the Madonna and Child with Saint Joseph in the clouds by Giuseppe
Torretto, who is the author of two angels. On the side walls of the
chapel statues, Michele and Gabriele, Giuseppe Torretto himself. The two
blue glass chandeliers are in Murano glass.
Venier Chapel
Built by Sebastiano Venier (not to be confused with Doge Sebastiano
Venier), abbot and apostolic protonotary, who is buried there († 1664)
together with his brother Angelo. The altarpiece shows a statue of San
Sebastiano (1669) by Bernardo Falconi. The altar is decorated with
bronze bas-reliefs with Scenes from the life of San Sebastiano by
Bernardo Falconi himself.
Statues of Faith, Hope and Charity in
the chapel of St John of the Cross by Tommaso Rues. Two doges were
buried in the church: in the chapel of Santa Teresa, Carlo Ruzzini, who
died in 1735; in the chapel of the Holy Family, Lodovico Manin, the last
doge of the Republic of Venice, who died in 1802.
Artwork
Giambattista Tiepolo, Christ in the Garden of Olives (1732)
Giambattista Tiepolo, Apotheosis of Saint Teresa (1725)
Heinrich
Meyring, St. Teresa in Ecstasy (1697)
Giovanni Maria Morlaiter,
Crucifix