Madonna dell'Orto

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Madonna dell'Orto.

View of the portal.

The Madonna dell'Orto is a church in Venice, Italy, in the sestiere of Cannaregio.

1 History
2 Overview
3 Image gallery
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

The church was erected by the Humiliati in the mid-14th century, under design by Tiberio da Parma, who is buried in the interior. It was initially dedicated to St. Christopher, patron saint of travellers, but later was consecrated to the Holy Virgin in the following century when, in a nearby orchard (orto in Italian) was found an allegedly miraculous statue of the Madonna.

The church lied on weak foundations and in 1399 a restoration project was financed by the city's Maggior Consiglio. The Humiliati, due to their "depraved customs", were ousted in 1462 and the Madonna dell'Orto was assigned to the congregation of Regular Canons of St. George. The later was suppressed in 1668, and the following year church and annexed convent were handed over to Cistercians of Lombardy. In 1787 the church passed under public administration. In 1841 the Austrian government^[1] had it restored. Works were finished in 1869, when Venice was now part of the unified Kingdom of Italy.

[edit] Overview

[edit] Façade

The façade, built in 1460-1464, has sloping sides and is in brickwork, divided in three parts by two pilasters strips. The two side sections have quadruple mullioned windows, while the central has a large rose window. The portal is surmounted by a pointed arch with white stone decorations portraying, on the summit, St. Christopher, the Madonna and the Archangel Gabriel by Nicolò di Giovanni Fiorentino and Antonio Rizzo. Under is a tympanum, in porphyry, supported by circular pilaster strips. The whole is included into a porch with Corinthian columns.

The upper central section is decorated by small arches and bas-reliefs with geometrical motifs. The upper sides have instead twelves niches each, containing statues of the Apostles. Five other Gothic niches are in the central section, with 18th century statues representing Prudence, Charity, Faith, Hope and Temperance, taken from the demolished church of Santo Stefano.

The bell tower.

[edit] Interior

The interior has a nave and two aisles, with double-framed pointed arches supported by Greek marble columns. The transept is absent, while in the rear is a pentagonal apse decorated by paintings by Tintoretto, who is buried here. The organ over the entrance was built in 1878, and is one of the most powerful in Venice.

The fourth chapel on the left, Contarini Chapel, has notable frescoes: they include a St. John Baptist and Saints by Cima da Conegliano, and a St. Agnes by Tintoretto. The Renaissance Valier Chapel once housed a small Madonna with Child by Giovanni Bellini (1481), stolen in 1993. Other works by Tintoretto in the church include a Presentation in the Temple, Adoration of the Golden Calf, Last Judgement and the Four Cardinal Virtues, all from 1562-1564.

[edit] Bell tower

The bell tower, in brickwork, was finished in 1503. It has a square plan, with pilasters strips on the sides leading to the cell with circular mullioned windows. Four semicircular tympani divided the cell from the upper cylindrical tambour with an onion dome in Eastern style.

On the sides are four statues of Evangelists of Pietro Lombardo's school; on the summit is a statue of the Redeemer, in white marble. The old bells, the largest being from 1424, were replaced in 1883.

[edit] Image gallery

Statue of the Madonna dell'Orto.	Another view of the façade.	Detail of the portal.	Detail of the façade decoration.
Detail of the façade decoration.	Detail of the façade decoration.	Detail of the façade decoration.	Detail of the façade decoration.