San Sebastiano, Venice
Encyclopedia
The Chiesa di San Sebastiano (Church of Saint Sebastian) is a 16th century Roman Catholic church located in the Dorsoduro
sestiere
of the Italian city of Venice
, notable particularly for its cycle of paintings by the artist Paolo Veronese
. It is a member of the Chorus Association
of Venetian churches and besides the numerous works by Veronese, also houses paintings by Tintoretto
and Titian
. It stands on the Campo di San Sebastiano by the Rio di San Basilio close to the Giudecca Canal. It is one of the five votive churches in Venice, each one built after the passing of a plague
through the city. Following construction the church was dedicated to a Saint associated with the disease; in this case St. Sebastian.
fathers in 1393. Close to the hospice was an Oratory
, built in 1396 and dedicated to Santa Maria Full of Grace and Justice. This was later expanded and in 1468 was converted into a church dedicated to Saint Sebastian the martyr who was one of the chief patrons against plague
and pestilence in Europe. The church is therefore regarded as one of the great Plague-Churches of Venice, built to temper divine punishment, as the plague
was viewed in the Middle Ages
.
Starting in 1506 a number of alterations including restructuring and enlargement, overseen by the architect Antonio Abbondi
(known as Scarpagnino), gave the church its current appearance. The expansion was completed in 1548 and the church was finally consecrated in 1562. It has a single-nave layout designed on a Latin cross. It has an atrium, above which is a raised choir
, and culminates in an apsidal presbytery
under a cupola
. The architectural style of the church is Renaissance
. A restoration project was undertaken in 1867.
containing, on the pediment
's apex, the figure of St. Sebastian wounded by arrows. Close to the door are small figures of St. Sebastian and St. Jerome, the two saints most closely associated with the church.
-born painter Paolo Veronese
spent three periods between 1555 and 1570 decorating various parts of the interior of San Sebastiano. This included paintings, ceiling fresco
es and frescoes on the nave and altar walls. Veronese also decorated parts of the sacristy
, the choir, as well as completing the organ decorations and a large altar piece.
The nave's sectioned ceiling contains three paintings depicting episodes from the Book of Esther
which Veronese completed in 1556. The paintings behind the choir depict the life of St Sebastian to whom the church is dedicated. The organ doors and frontal contain three pieces: The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple; The Washing of Sacrificial Animals in the Temple; and The Nativity. Veronese also painted an Assumption of the Virgin in the cupola but this was destroyed in the 18th century.
The painting standing behind the high altar was the last work completed by Veronese in the church. It is a scene depicting Madonna in Glory with St. Sebastian and other Saints and was completed in 1570. The painting is enclosed in a multi-coloured marble frame of the artist's own design which was commissioned by a Ventian noblewoman, Lise Querini, in 1559. The conception and execution of the painting by Veronese would have coincided with the final sessions of the Council of Trent
which published a series of decrees in 1564. These condemned Protestant iconoclasm and renewed earlier emphasis on the inspirational value (namely through scenes of martyrdom) of saints' images.
Following his decades of work within the church, on his death Veronese was entombed there in 1588. The tomb is located to the left of the presbytery.
Other notable works found in the church include Titian
's St. Nicolas (1563) and works by Paris Bordone
, Jacopo Sansovino
, Palma il Giovane and Alessandro Vittoria
. In the sacristy there are works by Jacopo Tintoretto and Bonifacio de' Pitati.
Dorsoduro
Dorsoduro is one of the six sestieri of Venice, northern Italy.Dorsoduro includes the highest land areas of the city and also Giudecca island and Isola Sacca Fisola...
sestiere
Sestiere
A sestiere is a subdivision of certain Italian towns and cities. The word is from sesto, or sixth; and is thus used only for towns divided into six districts. The best-known example are the sestieri of Venice, but Ascoli Piceno, Genoa, Milan and Rapallo, for example, were also divided into sestieri...
of the Italian city of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, notable particularly for its cycle of paintings by the artist Paolo Veronese
Paolo Veronese
Paolo Veronese was an Italian painter of the Renaissance in Venice, famous for paintings such as The Wedding at Cana and The Feast in the House of Levi...
. It is a member of the Chorus Association
Chorus Association
The Chorus Association of Venetian Churches , often shortened to Chorus Association, is a conservation organisation working within the city of Venice in Italy...
of Venetian churches and besides the numerous works by Veronese, also houses paintings by Tintoretto
Tintoretto
Tintoretto , real name Jacopo Comin, was a Venetian painter and a notable exponent of the Renaissance school. For his phenomenal energy in painting he was termed Il Furioso...
and Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
. It stands on the Campo di San Sebastiano by the Rio di San Basilio close to the Giudecca Canal. It is one of the five votive churches in Venice, each one built after the passing of a plague
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
through the city. Following construction the church was dedicated to a Saint associated with the disease; in this case St. Sebastian.
History
San Sebastiano is located on the site of a former hospice which was founded by the confraternity of GerolimineHieronymites
Hieronymites, or the Order of St. Jerome , is a common name for several congregations of hermits living according to the Rule of St. Augustine, with supplementary regulations taken from the writings of the 5th-century monk and scholar, St Jerome. The principal group with this name was founded in...
fathers in 1393. Close to the hospice was an Oratory
Oratory (worship)
An oratory is a Christian room for prayer, from the Latin orare, to pray.-Catholic church:In the Roman Catholic Church, an oratory is a structure other than a parish church, set aside by ecclesiastical authority for prayer and the celebration of Mass...
, built in 1396 and dedicated to Santa Maria Full of Grace and Justice. This was later expanded and in 1468 was converted into a church dedicated to Saint Sebastian the martyr who was one of the chief patrons against plague
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
and pestilence in Europe. The church is therefore regarded as one of the great Plague-Churches of Venice, built to temper divine punishment, as the plague
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
was viewed in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.
Starting in 1506 a number of alterations including restructuring and enlargement, overseen by the architect Antonio Abbondi
Antonio Abbondi
Antonio Abbondi generally known as Scarpagnino was an Italian architect of the Renaissance period, active mainly in Venice.Born at Grosio, in Valtellina...
(known as Scarpagnino), gave the church its current appearance. The expansion was completed in 1548 and the church was finally consecrated in 1562. It has a single-nave layout designed on a Latin cross. It has an atrium, above which is a raised choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, and culminates in an apsidal presbytery
Presbytery (architecture)
The presbytery is the name for an area in a church building which is reserved for the clergy.In the oldest church it is separated by short walls, by small columns and pilasters in the Renaissance ones; it can also be raised, being reachable by a few steps, usually with railings....
under a cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
. The architectural style of the church is Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
. A restoration project was undertaken in 1867.
Exterior
San Sebastiano has a plain façadeFacade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
containing, on the pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
's apex, the figure of St. Sebastian wounded by arrows. Close to the door are small figures of St. Sebastian and St. Jerome, the two saints most closely associated with the church.
Interior
Following a commission by Brother Bernardo Torlioni the VeronaVerona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
-born painter Paolo Veronese
Paolo Veronese
Paolo Veronese was an Italian painter of the Renaissance in Venice, famous for paintings such as The Wedding at Cana and The Feast in the House of Levi...
spent three periods between 1555 and 1570 decorating various parts of the interior of San Sebastiano. This included paintings, ceiling fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es and frescoes on the nave and altar walls. Veronese also decorated parts of the sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
, the choir, as well as completing the organ decorations and a large altar piece.
The nave's sectioned ceiling contains three paintings depicting episodes from the Book of Esther
Book of Esther
The Book of Esther is a book in the Ketuvim , the third section of the Jewish Tanakh and is part of the Christian Old Testament. The Book of Esther or the Megillah is the basis for the Jewish celebration of Purim...
which Veronese completed in 1556. The paintings behind the choir depict the life of St Sebastian to whom the church is dedicated. The organ doors and frontal contain three pieces: The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple; The Washing of Sacrificial Animals in the Temple; and The Nativity. Veronese also painted an Assumption of the Virgin in the cupola but this was destroyed in the 18th century.
The painting standing behind the high altar was the last work completed by Veronese in the church. It is a scene depicting Madonna in Glory with St. Sebastian and other Saints and was completed in 1570. The painting is enclosed in a multi-coloured marble frame of the artist's own design which was commissioned by a Ventian noblewoman, Lise Querini, in 1559. The conception and execution of the painting by Veronese would have coincided with the final sessions of the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
which published a series of decrees in 1564. These condemned Protestant iconoclasm and renewed earlier emphasis on the inspirational value (namely through scenes of martyrdom) of saints' images.
Following his decades of work within the church, on his death Veronese was entombed there in 1588. The tomb is located to the left of the presbytery.
Other notable works found in the church include Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
's St. Nicolas (1563) and works by Paris Bordone
Paris Bordone
Paris Bordon was an Italian painter of the Venetian Renaissance who, despite training with Titian, maintained a strand of mannerist complexity and provincial vigor.-Biography:...
, Jacopo Sansovino
Jacopo Sansovino
Jacopo d'Antonio Sansovino was an Italian sculptor and architect, known best for his works around the Piazza San Marco in Venice. Andrea Palladio, in the Preface to his Quattro Libri was of the opinion that Sansovino's Biblioteca Marciana was the best building erected since Antiquity...
, Palma il Giovane and Alessandro Vittoria
Alessandro Vittoria
Alessandro Vittoria was an Italian Mannerist sculptor of the Venetian school, "one of the main representatives of the Venetian classical style" and rivalling Giambologna as the foremost sculptors of the late 16th century in Italy....
. In the sacristy there are works by Jacopo Tintoretto and Bonifacio de' Pitati.