| Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore Church of the Most Holy Redeemer | |
|---|---|
 Il Redentore on the island Giudecca | |
 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| 45°25′29.97″N12°19′56.83″E / 45.4249917°N 12.3324528°E /45.4249917; 12.3324528 | |
| Location | Venice |
| Country | Italy |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Consecrated | 1592 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Andrea Palladio |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Renaissance |
| Groundbreaking | 1577 |
| Completed | 1592 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 75 metres (246 ft) |
| Width | 30 metres (98 ft) |
| Nave width | 20 metres (66 ft) |
TheChiesa del Santissimo Redentore (English:Church of the Most Holy Redeemer), commonly known asIl Redentore, is a 16th-centuryRoman Catholicchurch located onGiudecca (island) in thesestiere ofDorsoduro, in the city ofVenice, Italy.
It was designed by Italian Renaissance architectAndrea Palladio and built as a votive church to thank God for the deliverance of the city from a major outbreak of theplague. Located on the waterfront of theCanale della Giudecca, it dominates the skyline of the island ofGiudecca. It is a member of theChorus Association of Venetian churches and contains a number of paintings by artists includingTintoretto,Paolo Veronese, andFrancesco Bassano.
Il Redentore was built as avotive church in thanksgiving for deliverance from a major outbreak of theplague that decimated Venice between 1575 and 1576, in which some 46,000 people (25–30% of the population) died.[1] TheSenate of theRepublic of Venice commissioned the architectAndrea Palladio to design the votive church.[2] Though the Senate wished the Church to be square plan, Palladio designed a single nave church with three chapels on either side. Its prominent position on theCanale della Giudecca gave Palladio the opportunity to design a facade inspired by thePantheon ofRome and enhanced by being placed on a wide plinth. 15 steps were required to reach the church's entrance, a direct reference to theTemple of Jerusalem and complicit with Palladio's own requirement that "the ascent (of the faithful) will be gradual, so that the climbing will bring more devotion".[3]
The cornerstone was laid by thePatriarch of VeniceGiovanni Trevisan on 3 May 1577 and the building was consecrated in 1592.[4] At the urgent solicitations ofPope Gregory XIII, after consecration the church was placed in charge of theOrder of Friars Minor Capuchin.[5] A small number of Friars reside in themonastery attached to the church.
Every year thedoge and senators walked across a specially constructedpontoon bridge from theZattere to Giudecca to attend Mass in the church. TheFesta del Redentore remains a major festival in the Venetian calendar, celebrated on the third Sunday in July. A hugefirework display on the previous evening is followed by a mass procession across the pontoon bridge.[6]
The church was the scene of vandalism on 15–16 May 2022 after a group of three people – who were later arrested after being identified on CCTV footage – painted a three meter wide portion of the front facade of the church with pink paint as well as an equation of some sorts on top of the pink. A local tried removing the paint using water, but was unsuccessful in their efforts and only allowed the paint to permeate the stone it was displayed on. The restoration is now being handled by government art officials.[7]
Il Redentore has one of the most prominent sites of any of Palladio's structures, and is considered one of the pinnacles of his career. It is a large, white building with adome crowned by a statue of the Redeemer. On the façade a central triangular pediment overlies a larger, lower one. This classical feature recalls Palladio's façade forSan Francesco della Vigna, where he used an adaptation of atriumphal arch.Palladio is known for applying rigorous geometric proportions to his façades and that of this church is no exception. The overall height is four-fifths that of its overall width whilst the width of the central portion is five-sixths of its height.[3]
It has been suggested that there are some oriental influences in the exterior, particularly the twocampanili which resembleminarets.[8]
As a pilgrimage church, the building was expected to have a long nave, which was something of a challenge for Palladio with his commitment to classical architecture. The result is a somewhat eclectic building, the whitestucco and gray stone interior combines the nave with a domedcrossing in spaces that are clearly articulated yet unified. An uninterruptedCorinthian order makes its way around the entire interior.
Il Redentore contains paintings byFrancesco Bassano,Lazzaro Bastiani,Carlo Saraceni,Leandro Bassano,Palma the Younger,Jacopo Bassano,Francesco Bissolo,Rocco Marconi,Paolo Veronese,Alvise Vivarini and the workshop ofTintoretto. Thesacristy also contains a series of wax heads of Franciscans made in 1710.
The church was painted byCanaletto a number of times,[9][10] notably in a painting currently held atWoburn Abbey,England.[11]
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| Preceded by Punta della Dogana | Venice landmarks Il Redentore | Succeeded by Rialto Bridge |
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