Sant'Elena, also sometimes called ''Santa Lena'', is a Gothic-style,

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

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

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

, 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 monks in 1028 and dedicated to Saint Helene from

Auxerre Auxerre ( , , Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Auchoirre'') is the capital (Prefectures in France, prefecture) of the Yonne Departments of France, department and the fourth-largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Par ...

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

Helena of Constantinople Flavia Julia Helena (; , ''Helénē''; – 330), also known as Helena of Constantinople and in Christianity as Saint Helena, was an '' Augusta'' of the Roman Empire and mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. She was born in the lower ...

was putatively transported to Venice from

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

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 Gothic bas-relief on the facade The church of Sant'Aponal is a deconsecrated Roman Catholic church in the sestiere of San Polo in Venice, Italy. The church was founded in the 11th century, by refugees from Ravenna and dedicated to Apollinaris o ...

. Sant'Elena was reconsecrated in 1928 and granted to the

Servite Order The Servite Order, officially known as the Order of Servants of Mary (; abbreviation: OSM), is one of the five original mendicant orders in the Roman Catholic Church. It includes several branches of friars (priests and brothers), contemplative nu ...

. 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 sup ...

windows and rose window in the brick façade are Gothic in style. Above the portal is the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

style ''Monument to

Vettore Capello Vettore 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 ascent to higher offices w ...

'' (1467), where Capello, a Venetian admiral, is kneeling before the Saint; the sculptor was

Niccolò di Giovanni Niccolò is an Italian male given name, derived from the Greek Nikolaos meaning "Victor of people" or "People's champion". There are several male variations of the name: Nicolò, Niccolò, Nicolas, and Nicola. The female equivalent is Nicole. The f ...

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 Sette may refer to: People * Alessandro Sette, Italian immunologist *Giancarlo Sette, Italian astronomer, namesake of the asteroid 8885 Sette * Oscar Elton Sette (1900–1972), American fisheries scientist *Sérgio Sette Câmara (b. 1998), Brazil ...

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 Gothic architecture in Venice 15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Helena, mother of Constantine I Buildings and structures in Castello, Venice