Altars

For general information see Altar

Altars

Altars of the Churches of Venice
Total Number of Altars	500+
Total Number Devoted to Saints	331
Most Popular Saint	Maria
Altars with Relics	62
Altars Privately Patronized	55

Venice's churches are home to many altars across the city, with most churches containing many. Even a relatively small church such as the Church of San Zulian in San Marco has seven altars. Many altars house great works of art, mainly paintings and and some sculptures. Many altars also contain relics, or objects that hold religious significance because they are connected to a saint or Christ. All information in this article refers to the altars of publicly accessible churches.

Dedication

A side altar in Church of San Martino di Burano dedicated in honor of S. Antonio di Padova

Altars are frequently dedicated in honor of specific canonized saints. These altars with specific saint or martyr devotion serve to honor god through providing a space for the practice of sacraficail offerings and prayer. Altars dedicated to saints often feature artwork, relics, or other symbolic instruments of devotion to honor the saint which the altar is erected for.

Venice has 331 altars which are dedicated to a saint, with 133 different saints among these. The most common saint which altars are dedicated to in Venice is the Virgin Mary (Santa Maria) with 87 altars, followed by St. Anthony of Padua (San Antonio di Padova) with 29, and St. Joesph (San Giuseppe) honored 14 times.

Chart showing the number of times a saint had an altar dedicated to them, for saints with over 4 altars

Patronage

Altars are sometimes sponsored by guilds, scuole, or by wealthy families. 102 altars can be verified as being patronized, with 71 from families and 31 from scuole. The families which sponsored multiple altars are: Morosini with five; Grimani with four; Giustiani and Corner with three; and Contarini, Foscari, Martini, Pesaro, and Molin with two. It is believed that the actual number of altars with patrons is much higher, but little of this information is available or accessible.

Relics

A side altar in Church of San Zaccaria containing the bodies of S. Zaccaria and S. Anthanasius

Altars frequently contain the relics, either on display or stored inside of the altar. There are 62 altars that contain relics, with some containing multiple for a total of 71 relics in just the altars. These relics include the full or partial bodies of 46 saints, the bones of 6 saints, and other assorted body parts or objects. Some stand out relics include: the blood of Christ, the body of St. Mark (San Marco), the hand of St. James the Apostle (San Giacomo Apostolo), the holy nail, the tooth of St. Pantaleon (San Pantalon), and the foot of St. Catherine of Siena (San Caterina di Siena).

Artwork

Altars serve as spaces for prayer, offerings, and centerpieces for the celebrations of mass. In Venice, many altars are ornately decorated by famous pieces of art, often painted by renowned painters and artisans. Types of altar artwork include engravings, carvings, sculptures, and paintings. The most popular altar artist in Venice is Palma il Giovane (Jacopoo Negretti) with 40 altars accredited to him. He is followed by Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti) with 27, and Veronese (Paolo Caliari) with 16. However, many other famous painters, such as Titian and Bellini have also painted altar artworks all across Venice