Scuola

This page describes a typical Venetian scuola. For information pertaining to the scuole, see Scuole.

Often referred to in English as a confraternity, a scuola was a Catholic organization that members could join for devotion, charity, and community within a certain identity group. The scuola building was considered the organization's meetinghouse, but many scuola did not possess meeting houses and instead met inside a church.

Background

The historic scuola buildings were typically associated with a church, as they were often built near one and sometimes even attached to one. The scuola grande buildings were grand and impressive, with wealthy members commissioning famous architects and artists to decorate their buildings. The scuole grandi were exceptionally powerful and stable institutions in Venice during the Renaissance, and still exist today. The scuola piccola buildings were much smaller and limited, as they often did not share the wealth and power of the scuole grandi. Some scuole piccole didn't even have a dedicated building and would instead meet inside their associated parish church. During the period of decline in Venice’s political and economic power between the 16th and 19th centuries, these scuola buildings contributed greatly to Venice's religious and cultural significance.

Structure

The scuola buildings were constructed under strict regulations. The buildings had to have two floors connected by a staircase, with a large room on each floor. The room on the ground floor was for religious ceremonies, while the room on the first floor was for meetings of the members. The room on the upper floor was known as the Chapter House.

Community Involvement

One major factor in the cultural significance of Venetian confraternities was the sense of community they brought to their members. Many scuole were identity-based around characteristics like occupation or foreign nationality, providing the members with support for issues that afflicted their demographic. The scuole were particularly involved in this sort of community building, as many of them acted as guilds and offered training in their particular area of expertise. More broadly, the scuole offered a variety of services and opportunities to the non-patrician Venetians that furthered their sense of fulfillment in their ability to impact their local government. All confraternities held elections for official positions within the brotherhood, and most did not have rules regarding who could or could not run for office.

Despite the scuole withstanding cultural changes within Venice over the last five centuries, the overtaking of the city by Austria in 1798 rendered their end inevitable. Records of scuole in Venice ceased to exist after around 1810. Today, the buildings that once housed the scuole have been repurposed into museums, housing, private businesses, and many other uses.