Santa Sofia is a church located in the sestiere (neighborhood) of

Cannaregio Cannaregio () is the northernmost of the six historic ''sestieri'' (districts) of Venice. It is the second largest ''sestiere'' by land area and the largest by population, with 13,169 people . Isola di San Michele, the historic cemetery island, ...

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 Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. It should be distinguished from the palazzo Ca' d'Oro on the Grand Canal is also called the ''Palazzo Santa Sofia''. A wooden church of Sant Sofia in Venice is documented in chronicles from 886 The church dates to initial patronage in the 11th century by the patrician family of the Gussoni. Construction began in 1020. It appears to have survived the great fire of 1105 in Venice. Major reconstruction took place from 1507 to 1534. The architect of a late-1600s reconstruction was Antonio Gaspari. With the construction of the Strada Nova in Venice in the 1800s, the church's length was diminished. Under Napoleonic rule, the rites in the church were suppressed. The church was converted into a warehouse, and the contents were dispersed. Fontana recounts how in 1836 the church was " ''redeem(ed) from the Israelites into whose hands it had fallen'', and cleared of the debris. " In 1836, the church was re-consecrated for Roman Catholic services. Presently, the ground floor of the facade and bell tower of the church are screened behind a screen of buildings. The interior is less decorated than in the past. Originally a ''Last Supper'' by

Paolo Veronese Paolo Caliari (152819 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( , also , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of religion and mythology, such as ''The Wedding at Cana'' (1563) and ''The ...

was located on the door leading to the Sacristy. Across from this canvas was a ''Birth of the Virgin'' by

Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italians, Italian (Republic of Venice, Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school (art), ...

. The main chapel had an altarpiece of ''Christ preaching to the Masses'' by

Francesco da Ponte Francesco da Ponte the Elder, or Francesco Bassano the Elder (c. 1475–1539) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance Venetian School. He was born at Vicenza. After training in Venice he established himself at Bassano. If not an actual pup ...

. Above the door, called that of St Peter, was a ''Crucifixion'' by

Tintoretto Tintoretto ( , , ; born Jacopo Robusti; late September or early October 1518Bernari and de Vecchi 1970, p. 83.31 May 1594) was an Italian painter identified with the Venetian school. His contemporaries both admired and criticized the speed with ...

. In the pulpit was a canvas by Domenico Tintoretto, depicting, the ''Marriage of the Virgin''. On the organ covers were paintings of ''Adoration of the Shepherds'' attributed to

Francesco Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name " Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), sev ...

and

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 ...

; these works are now attributed to

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 ...

and are now in the Gallerie dell'Accademia of Venice. Other works included altarpieces by Gentile da Fabriano,

Lionardo Corona Leonardo Corona (1561–1605) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period, active mainly in Venice. Born in Murano. For the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice, he painted an ''Annunciation''; while for Santo Stefano, he painted an ...

, and

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 ...

. A ''Madonna and saints'' was painted by Giovanni Segala. The altarpiece of ''San Lorenzo Giustiniani'' was painted by

Angelo Trevisani Angelo Trevisani (1669 – after 1753) was an Italian painter of the late- Baroque, active mainly in Venice. He was born in Venice (or possibly Capodistria), the younger brother of Francesco Trevisani who was born in Capodistria, and who painted ...

. A ''Baptism of Christ'' was painted by Daniele Heinz (Daniel Ens), brother of Joseph Ens. In the reduced size of the church after 1836 were housed a ''Madonna and Saints'' by

Giovanni Battista Maganza Giovanni Battista Maganza (c. 1513–August 25, 1586) was a late Renaissance Italian painter and poet, from Vicenza in the area of Calaone, mainly producing religious altarpieces for local churches. Biography Maganza was also a poet and a frie ...

; a ''St Anthony of Padua'' by

Girolamo Brusaferro Girolamo Brusaferro was an Italian painter of the 18th century, active in his native Venice. He was a pupil of Niccolo Bambini and Sebastiano Ricci. He has paintings in various churches in Venice including the Carmini Santa Maria dei Carmini, ...

, a ''Christ in the Temple'' and an ''Adoration of the Magi'' by

. In the small chapel beside the main door is a painting by Jacopo Palma the Elder. It also had an altarpieces by Pietro Moro. Likely most of these paintings were not originally in this church, nor have they been retained. Presently in this church are two paintings by Bassano's school: at the side of the presbytery, and a ''Baptism of Christ'', now attributed to Girolamo Heinz, is now on the main altar. Four statues of saints, attributed to Antonio Rizzo, were relocated from the church of the Servi.InVeniceToday website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sofia 11th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1534 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1536 Roman Catholic churches completed in 1836 Roman Catholic churches in Venice 1534 establishments in the Republic of Venice