Santa Maria Formosa, formally The Church of the Purification of Mary, is a church in Venice,

northern Italy Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative regions ...

. It was erected in 1492 under the design by Renaissance architect

Mauro Codussi Mauro Codussi (1440–1504) was an Italian architect of the early-Renaissance, active mostly in Venice. The name is also rendered as ''Coducci''. He was one of the first to bring the classical style of the early renaissance to Venice to replace th ...

. It lies on the site of a previous church dating from the 7th century, which, according to tradition, was one of the eight founded by San Magno, bishop of Oderzo. The name "formosa" relates to an alleged appearance of the Holy Virgin disguised as a voluptuous woman¹.

Exterior

The plan is on the

Latin cross A Latin cross or ''crux immissa'' is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a mu ...

, with a nave and two aisles. The two façades were commissioned in 1542, the Renaissance-style one facing the canal, and 1604, the Baroque one facing the nearby square. The dome of the church was rebuilt in after falling during an earthquake in 1688. Santa Maria Formosa Facciata e campanile2.jpg, West facade Santa Maria Formosa - Monumento di Vicenzo Cappello - Domenico di Pietro Grazioli.jpg, Monument to Vincenzo Cappello 0 Venise, grotesque en pierre sculptée - Santa Maria Formosa.JPG, Mascaron adorning the front door of the campanile.

Interior

The artworks in the interior include the ''St. Barbara''

polyptych A polyptych ( ; Greek: ''poly-'' "many" and ''ptychē'' "fold") is a painting (usually panel painting) which is divided into sections, or panels. Specifically, a "diptych" is a two-part work of art; a "triptych" is a three-part work; a tetrapty ...

Palma the Elder Palma Vecchio (c. 1480 – 30 July 1528), born Jacopo Palma, also known as Jacopo Negretti, was a Venetian painter of the Italian High Renaissance. He is called Palma Vecchio in English and Palma il Vecchio in Italian ("Palma the Elder") to di ...

, one of his most celebrated works. The Conception Chapel houses a triptych of ''Madonna of Misericordia'' by

Bartolomeo Vivarini Bartolomeo or Bartolommeo Vivarini (c. 1432c. 1499) was an Italian Renaissance painter, known to have worked from 1450 to 1499. Biography Bartolomeo's brother Antonio Vivarini, and his nephew (also possibly his pupil) Alvise Vivarini, were als ...

(1473), while in the Oratory is the ''Madonna with Child and St. Dominic'' by

Giambattista Tiepolo Giovanni Battista Tiepolo ( , ; March 5, 1696 – March 27, 1770), also known as Giambattista (or Gianbattista) Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an import ...

(18th century). There is also a ''Last Supper'' by

Leandro Bassano Leandro Bassano (10 June 1557 – 15 April 1622), also called Leandro dal Ponte, was an Italian art, Italian artist from Bassano del Grappa who was awarded a knighthood by the Doge of Venice. He was the younger brother of artist Francesco Bassano ...

. Santa Maria Formosa, cappella laterale, opere di Palma il Vecchio..jpg, St. Barbara polyptych by

Approvazione dell'Ordine della santissima Trinità o del riscatto degli schiavi di Baldassarre d'Anna - Santa Maria formosa.jpg, ''Approval of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity'' by

Baldassare d'Anna Baldassare or Baldasarre d'Anna ( – after 1639) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance period. upright 2, ''Approval of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity involved in the redemption of slaves'' Santa Maria Formosa Biography B ...

Sources

Chorusvenezia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Formosa Roman Catholic churches completed in 1492 15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches in Venice Renaissance architecture in Venice Churches in Castello, Venice

Exterior

Interior

See also

Sources