Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta detta I Gesuiti — Attraction in Venice

This magically beautiful Church of Santa Maria Assunta, known in the city as the Jesuit Church, is located in a quiet area of Canaregio in the area closest to the Fondamente Nova. The church faces the Rio dei Gesuiti and stands out above the lagoon, marking the architectural profile of the fondamenta (canals and streets). The church originally belonged to the Crusaders, and only from 1657 did it pass into the hands of the Jesuits who radically changed its appearance. It was financed by the Manin family, an aristocratic Friulan family. The church was consecrated in 1728. The Jesuits in Venice determined that Domenico Rossi, who designed the Church of San Stae, was the ideal architect to do the work they needed. It was not an easy task for him as he had to follow strict plans, which were defined for the Jesuits by the Council of Trent. The façade - designed by G. B. Fattoretto - is an example of the Venetian Baroque of the early eighteenth century, and the whole façade is dominated by the prominent work of the L'Assunzione della Vergine Maria (The Assumption of the Virgin Mary ) statues by Giuseppe Torretti. The interior decoration of fake brocade, actually made of marble inserts, is a real scenographic effect of the church known for its numerous canvases by Jacopo Palma the Younger kept in the sacristy and for the masterpiece of Titian's last work The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence (1558) on the first altar on the left , which reveals Titian at a turning point, according to the way he experiences the night scene. The next masterpiece is the painting of the altarpiece Assumption of Mary work of Tintoretto, 1555. The ceiling is adorned with beautiful frescoes. In the chancel, Angel musicians in Glory (1720), and on the vaulted ceiling The Triumph of the Name of Jesus (1732), were painted by Ludovico Dorigny. On the ceiling of the nave, Abraham and Three Angels and Vision of St John Evangelist were painted by Francesco Fontebasso in 1734. The chancel is decorated with statues of cherubs, little angels, angels and archangels by Giuseppe Torretti. Around the altar, designed by the Jesuit father Giuseppe Pozzo, ten columns support a green and white dome. A chapel in the church has the monument to Doge Cicogna by Campagna. In addition to the above, the church is extremely rich in other works of art by famous Venetian masters of art. Extremely significant and...

There have been countless churches, cathedrals and temples in my exploration of Italy, and yet this one gloriously stands out as a true gem in its striking baroque style.

It is under renovation as of early 2025, but it can still be accessed via a small side door near the entrance.

Santa Maria Assunta, also known as the Gesuiti Church is fairly modern by italian standards. Built in the early 18th century by the Jesuits, it boasts an extravagant interior covered in white/green marble inlay, creating an illusion of draped fabric.

One of its highlights is Titian’s "Martyrdom of St. Lawrence", a dramatic masterpiece where the saint is shown being grilled alive, lit by eerie firelight.

Fun fact, the Jesuits were expelled from Venice shortly after the church’s completion, so they barely got to use their architectural...

Not good at all. Do not add this country in your Europe trip. It is very expensive in Venice, nothing much to see and you have to walk everywhere. There are lots of mosquitoes. This place have too much publicity. We were very disappointed for 3 days their, as we paid 600 Euro for a 2 bedrooms apartment which were really bad. The room were on the 3rd floor, there was no lift and we have to carry everything upstairs. It was a bit too much high rated on the internet. Lots of mosquitoes in room at night, no cooling in the room with the hot temperature, only in lounge and kitchen. It was very bad. The name of the apartment is Ca' Bellini in Venice. See photo of...