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San Silvestro

A relatively modern church for Venice

San Silvestro

San Silvestro was a medieval church that was rebuilt on at least two occasions before its current rather undistinguished neoclassical incarnation of 1843 by Giovanni Meduna, with a facade of 1909 by Giuseppe Sicher. It was the church of two confraternities, of wine merchants and coopers (mastellai); the former still have a chapel with 18th-century frescoes by Gaspare Diziani, a pupil of Ricci (open by request).

Today it is most noted for its paintings: St Thomas à Becket Enthroned with Angels (1520), by Gerolamo Santacroce and Tintoretto's Baptism of Christ. Among the many works of art commissioned for the church over its history that has since vanished is Veronese's Adoration of the Kings, now in the National Gallery in London.

Facing the church in Campo San Silvestro is the Palazzo Valier (No.1022) where Giorgione lived, and in 1510 died of the plague, contracted from his mistress.

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Hours Mon-Sat 7.30am-11.30am, 4pm-6pm

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Campo San Silvestro

vaporetto: San Silvestro

Churches

San Polo/Santa Croce

Text © Dana Facaros & Michael Pauls

Image by Paul VanDerWerf