FOR CENTURIES, VENETIANS BELIEVED THAT the Blessed Virgin Mother brought them miracles—from stopping a plague, to bringing fortune, to mysteriously appearing with advice. Many churches were built in honor of her powers. Among my favorites, by neighborhood, are:
Dorsoduro
At the opening of the Grand Canal, The Salute, or what my husband calls “the giant white boob,” welcomes visitors to Venice.
Salute means health and salvation, which is what the Venetians needed desperately in 1631. For two years, the plague had ravaged the city, causing forty-five thousand deaths, a loss of one third of their population. The doge ordered prayers to Mary, the plague stopped, and it was decided to build a church to thank her.
Baldassare Longhena, at thirty-two years old, won a contest to design the church and came up with a Mary-centric plan. The dome represents her crown, the round shape her womb, the octagonal interior, her eight-sided star. The center of the marble floor features thirty-two roses, symbolizing the beads of her Rosary.
It’s refreshing to step into the airy expanse of this church, with loads of light flooding through its giant dome. A marble sculpture at the main altar tells the plague story. In the center is the Madonna and Child, bordered on one side by a pretty signorina who represents Venezia. On the other side is the plague—an old hag running from an angel who holds out a torch.
Pay the extra couple euros to get into the sacristy and see such masterpieces as Tintoretto’s folksy hit on the Marriage at Cana, where he got his friends to pose and women are in charge of pouring wine out of giant jugs. Titian’s ceiling paintings here are also stunning, especially The Sacrifice of Abraham, where an angel swoops in to save Abraham’s son Isaac, depicted as an adorable three-year-old with Titian-colored hair. Use the mirrors set on the side benches to get the best view.
In a corner are four simple Madonna portraits by Sassoferrato, a Baroque painter who was influenced by Raphael. Though critics call them too sentimental, they win me over.
Santa Maria della Salute: Dorsoduro 1, open daily 9-noon, 3-5:30
The story goes that in the thirteenth century Saint Dominic had a vision of the BVM directing him to pray the rosary, and so he founded an order that has been devotees of her beads ever since. In the eighteenth century, Venetian Dominicans decided to take over a floundering church that was originated by I Gesuati (Poor Followers of Jesus) and build a whole new structure—something impressive to promote their order and praise their Lady of the Rosary. Top architect of the day, Giorgio Massari, designed it in classical style with a swirly Rococo interior. Though the Dominicans renamed the church Santa Maria del Rosario, Venetians never took to the change, and to this day they still call it “dei Gesuati.”
Check out the pretty ceiling, where Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, an artist known for dramatic flair, painted Mary handing the rosary to Saint Dominic. On the right as you enter is another Tiepolo: The Virgin Appearing to Donimican Saints, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Rose of Lima, and Saint Agnes of Montepulciano. On the left is the most honored sculpture in the church: the Madonna of the Rosary.
The Dorsoduro is my favorite neighborhood to stay in when I visit Venice, so I’ve often found myself at Chiesa dei Gesuati for Sunday mass, where I’m surrounded by Venetian families, singing in high spirited celebration.
Church of Santa Maria del Rosario: Fondamenta delle Zattere 918, Dorsoduro, open Monday-Saturday, 10-5, closed Sunday after morning mass
Cannaregio
This tiny glowing marble treasure chest looks like it should be kept under glass in a museum. If you catch it on a sunny day, it shimmers. It was built with marble left over from San Marco, by Pietro Lombardo, who fitted pink, gray, and butter-yellow stones together to dazzling effect inside and out.
The motivation to build this church came from a portrait of the Madonna that in the fifteenth century was kept in a Cannaregio neighborhood yard. Venetians used to stop and pray to it, and miraculously their prayers were answered. It became so popular that people started to leave money in front of the portrait—enough to fund the building of a church, which became Santa Maria dei Miracoli. In fact, so much money was given that a second story and a convent were added.
The miraculous Madonna portrait now sits at the altar, up a flight of marble steps. The church’s gilded ceiling is painted with fifty portraits of saints and prophets, there are pillars carved with mermaids, putti, and floral motifs. It all blends seamlessly to create a romantic Renaissance masterpiece. It’s no wonder this is the first choice for brides around the world who want to get married in Venice.
Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli: Campo dei Miracoli, open Monday-Saturday, 10-5
Along a quiet canal out bursts this Venetian Gothic masterpiece, impressively decorated with statues of the apostles, along with the Archangel Gabriel and BVM flanking the doorway, symbolizing the Annunciation.
Like the dei Miracoli, this church was also inspired by a Madonna artwork. It was a sculpture, chiseled by Giovanni di Santi, originally made for the Santa Maria di Formosa church. Sadly for Giovanni, the church found his work subpar and rejected it, so he dragged it back to his Cannaregio yard.
Then came The Miracle: His wife saw the statue glowing and heard strange sounds coming from it. She blabbed this vision to her neighbors and they began to gather to watch. The reigning bishop, who was against Mary-cult activity (this was 1377, 100 years prior to dei Miracoli), ordered Giovanni to take the statue away from public view, by either bringing it into his house or selling it to another church.
Giovanni jumped on the chance to make some cash and tried to sell the statue to his neighborhood church. In keeping with his bad luck, the church was run by the Humiliati—an order of poor penitents who couldn’t afford his price of 150 ducats. But coincidentally, the newly formed Scuola of Merchants was headquartered next to the church, and they jumped at the chance to buy it to advertise their success and wealth. The sale was a win for the Humiliati, who knew the statue would attract worshippers with donations, which could help pay for finishing the building. In thanks to the Madonna dell’Orto (Madonna of the Orchard), they dropped their Saint Christopher patronage and named the church in her honor. You can see Giovanni’s not so pretty Madonna statue in the church’s San Mauro chapel.
The church’s theatricality is thanks to the prolific, exuberant, sixteenth-century painter Tintoretto (read more about him in the Scuola San Rocco entry). This was his parish church, and he went at it with gusto, painting such glowing scenes as the Miracle of Saint Agnes and the Presentation of the Virgin.
Church of Madonna dell’ Orto: Cannareggio 3512, open daily 10-5, Sunday noon-6
San Marco
Peek into this tiny gem to see the only Peter Paul Rubens painting in Venice, tucked into a chapel on your right. In classic Rubens style, it’s a bare-breasted, voluptuous Madonna and Child with Young Saint John.
The name “del Giglio” means “of the Lily,” as this flower is often seen held by the angel in Annunciation motifs, such as the altar statue here. The church is also called Santa Maria Zobenigo—for the noble family who founded it in the ninth century. It was later glamorized thanks to the patronage of Admiral Barbaro; he’s the one to thank for the flamboyant Venetian baroque facade.
Church of Santa Maria del Giglio: Campo Santa Maria Zobenigo, open Monday-Saturday 10-5, closed Sunday
Castello
“She was Formosa (buxom),” was how a seventh-century bishop described the BVM who came to him in a dream and whispered a simple request: “Build me a church, exactly where I have left a white cloud.” The church became one of the first in Venice. It was built of wood, burned, and was replaced with a fifteenth-century Renaissance style design. My favorite spot inside is on the right, where you’ll find the Madonna of Misericordia triptych (Madonna of Mercy), by Venetian Renaissance painter Bartolomeo Vivarini. The left panel depicts Mary’s mother and father, the right Mary’s birth. In the center, Vivarini’s mastery of color and sculptural technique gives the BVM majesty and passion.
Church of Santa Maria Formosa: Campo Santa Maria Formosa, open Monday-Saturday 10-5, closed Sunday
Golden Day: Visit dei Miracoli, enjoy a caffè in the adjoining campo to gawk some more at the church exterior. Have lunch at Fiaschetteria Toscana, one of late-great cookbook author Marcella Hazan’s favorite Venice restaurants. The dining room is elegant, and the kitchen turns out delicious Venetian classics. It’s expensive, but they have a good fixed-price-menu option, great wine list, and the apple tart dessert is out of this world. (Salizada San Giovanni Grisostomo 5719, Cannareggio, 041 528 5281, closed all day Tuesday and Wednesday for lunch)
TIP: * indicates Chorus Churches. These belong to a group of fifteen churches that charge admission to help pay for the restoration and upkeep of the treasures inside. Admission to all of them is included in your Venice Card, or you can buy a pass separately to visit them: www.chorusvenezia.org