Sant'Elena, also sometimes called ''Santa Lena'', is a

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

-style,

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

church at the extreme east end of the sestiere of Castello in the City of

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

, Italy.

History

This site was once the island of Sant'Elena, which was not then accessible by foot from the city; it now represents the east end of Venice. The first chapel at this location was built by

Augustinian Augustinian may refer to: *Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine *Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs *Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo * Canons Regular of Sain ...

monks in 1028 and dedicated to Saint Helene from

Auxerre Auxerre ( , ) is the capital of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in Burgundy. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (''aire d'attraction'') comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are r ...

. By 1175, they had built a convent and hospital. In 1211, the body of Saint

Helena of Constantinople Flavia Julia Helena ''Augusta'' (also known as Saint Helena and Helena of Constantinople, ; grc-gre, Ἑλένη, ''Helénē''; AD 246/248– c. 330) was an '' Augusta'' and Empress of the Roman Empire and mother of Emperor Constantine th ...

was putatively transported to Venice from

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

by the monk Aicardo from this monastery. They added a chapel for her relics to the church. In 1407, the convent had fallen to ruin, and the complex was affiliated with the Olivetani order. In 1810, the church was deconsecrated under Napoleonic rule. The urn putatively containing St Helen's remains was supposedly hidden in the Basilica of San Pietro in Castello, and the Renaissance portal of the church was transferred to the church of Sant'Aponal. Sant'Elena was reconsecrated in 1928 and granted to the

Servite Order The Servite Order, officially known as the Order of Servants of Mary ( la, Ordo Servorum Beatae Mariae Virginis; abbreviation: OSM), is one of the five original Catholic mendicant orders. It includes several branches of friars (priests and brothe ...

. The urn of St. Helena was returned, the bell tower was rebuilt, and the original portal replaced. The main altarpiece, depicting the '' Adoration of the Magi with Saint Helena'', was relocated to the

Pinacoteca di Brera The Pinacoteca di Brera ("Brera Art Gallery") is the main public gallery for paintings in Milan, Italy. It contains one of the foremost collections of Italian paintings from the 13th to the 20th century, an outgrowth of the cultural program of ...

in Milan during the Napoleonic era, and remains there today.

Description

The

mullioned A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid supp ...

windows and rose window in the brick façade are

in style. Above the portal is the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

style ''Monument to

Vettore Capello Vettore Cappello ( vec, Vettor Cappello; –1467) was a merchant, statesman and military commander of the Republic of Venice. After an early career as a merchant that gained him substantial wealth, he began his political career in 1439. His ascen ...

'' (1467), where Capello, a Venetian admiral, is kneeling before the Saint; the sculptor was Niccolò di Giovanni of Florence.Main Portal Church of Sant’Elena, Venice
from Venetian Heritage projects website. The original bell-tower, built in 1558, had been razed in the early 19th century. The main altarpiece is a copy of that found in the Church of Sette Santi Fondatori in Florence. The interior is mostly bare; most of the paintings are now in the

Gallerie dell'Accademia The Gallerie dell'Accademia is a museum gallery of pre-19th-century art in Venice, northern Italy. It is housed in the Scuola della Carità on the south bank of the Grand Canal, within the sestiere of Dorsoduro. It was originally the gallery o ...

. Of the adjacent Convent, only part of the cloister and the central well head remain. The buildings now house a foundation dedicated to world peace. Church Sant'Elena (Venice) Side chapel.jpg, Chapel of St. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great Church Sant'Elena (Venice) Interior.jpg, Inside the nave and choir Church Sant'Elena (Venice) Altarpiece.jpg, Altarpiece Church Sant'Elena (Venice) Ceiling of the nave and choir.jpg, Ceilings of the nave and choir. Church Sant'Elena (Venice) Cloister.jpg, Cloister

Notes

References

*Marcello Brusegan, ''Le chiese di Venezia'', Ed. Newton&Compton *Giulio Lorenzetti, ''Venezia e il suo estuario'', Ed. Lint Trieste

External links

{{Authority control

Elena Elena may refer to: People * Elena (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name * Joan Ignasi Elena (born 1968), Catalan politician * Francine Elena (born 1986), British poet Geography * Elena (town), a town in Veliko ...

Gothic architecture in Venice 15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy