The large, picturesque square in Castello district until 19th century was often called Campo delle Maravege, from the number of miracles that happened here.
Today is called Campo San Zanipolo from the Dominican church of saints Giovanni and Paolo ( shortly – Zanipolo).
After drying the swamp received from the Republic in 1233 Dominican friars erected the oratory of St.Daniel and at the end of 13th century started the works on the present church of the Roman saints from 4th century SS . John and Paul. The church has been consecrated in 1430 and since then was in the hands of friars,until 1806 when, in the middle of the Napoleonic era, the Dominicans were expelled from their convent, converted into a hospital.
The church has three main architects: Bartolomeo Bono ( the lower part) , Domenico Fiorentino (friese) , and magister Luce (upper part).
The entry portal on a façade is decorated with six marble columns moved here in 1459 from the destroyed church in Torcello. the façade is crowned with sculptures of three Dominican saints -St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Dominic and St. Peter the Martyr. 90m long interior is a showcase of tombs and monuments to famous Venetians, among the others there are graves of 25 doges here.
Just near the entrance there are sarcophaguses to Tiepolo family. According to the legend Doge Jacopo Tiepolo had a vision of white doves with black crosses on their heads landing on the swampy ground and the voice from Heaven announced his will to acquire that territory. The land was given then to the friars.
Among the famous figures, who are buried there are Admiral Vettor Pisani, victorer from Lepanto Sebastian Vernier and Alvise Diedo.
THe special place in the right aisle is reserved to Marcantonio Bragadin, the commander of a fortress on Cyprus captured by the Turkish army. As he did not wanted to obey Turkish commands his skin was removed from his alive body. The remains of the skin were later transferred to Venice and today are rest in the urn near the Bragadin’s monument.
Among the most valuable masterpieces preserved in San Zanipolo are paintings by Veronese, polyptych of St.Vincent Ferrer by Giovannin Bellini, St. Dominic in Glory by Giambattista Piazetta and St.Anthony by Lorenzo Lotto. The Veronese works are on the ceiling of Rosary Chapel ( Cappella di Rosario ) which has been damaged by the fire in August 1867. That fire took away numerous paintings, among them the ones by Tintoretto, Bellini and Titian’s Martyrdom of St Peter. The fire did not save Veronese’s art and only recently, after long restoration process ended in 1959, we can see again his paintings with story of life of St. Mary : Annunciation, two Adorations and Assumption.
Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo
Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo
Phone: 041 523 59 13.
Opening Hours:
9:30am – 6pm ( Mon–Sat )
1pm – 6pm ( Sun )
[ photo courtesy of Fabio Gismondi]
