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

northern Italy Northern Italy (, , ) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. The Italian National Institute of Statistics defines the region as encompassing the four Northwest Italy, northwestern Regions of Italy, regions of Piedmo ...

. 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, 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 after falling in 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 ''

Saint Barbara Saint Barbara (; ; ; ), known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an Early Christianity, early Christian Greek saint and martyr. There is no reference to her in the authentic early Christian writings nor in the origin ...

polyptych A polyptych ( ; Greek: ''poly-'' "many" and ''ptychē'' "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) which is divided into sections, or panels. Some definitions restrict "polyptych" to works with more than three sections: a diptych is ...

by Palma the Elder, one of his most celebrated works. The Conception Chapel houses a triptych of ''Madonna of Misericordia'' by Bartolomeo Vivarini (1473), while in the Oratory is the ''Madonna with Child and St. Dominic'' by

Giambattista Tiepolo Giovanni Battista Tiepolo ( , ; 5 March 1696 – 27 March 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 artist from Bassano del Grappa who was awarded a knighthood by the Doge of Venice. He was the younger brother of artist Francesco Bassano the Younger ...

. Santa Maria Formosa, cappella laterale, opere di Palma il Vecchio..jpg, '' Polyptych of Saint Barbara'' by Palma the Elder 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, active in a Mannerist or late-Renaissance style. upright 2, ''Approval of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity involved in the redemption of slaves''Displayed in church ...

Sources

Chorusvenezia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Formosa Buildings and structures completed in 1492 Churches completed in the 1490s 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