Churches

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Churches


[1] [2]


Churches, or chiese in Italian, are a common feature in most squares, or campo, throughout the city of Venice. 144 churches can be seen in the city's skyline, with a few recognizable landmarks, such as the bell tower at Saint Mark's Basilica, standing out. Churches have become a tourist attraction in the city, with the majority of the tourists arriving in the city visiting Saint Mark's Square. While some of the other churches have been closed or sold and converted to other uses, many still hold religious services weekly. Several of these share their daily mass schedule with the other churches in the parish, with each church having daily mass about twice a week.

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History

One of the reasons Venice has so many churches is that each community in the city built its own place of worship, usually as a way of bring the community together. Churches were often used by wealthy merchants of Venice to showcase their wealth. Additionally, the prominent use of stone, such as marble and granite, had a two-fold benefit. The stone is durable enough to survive the seasonal flooding that is characteristic of Venice and it also keeps the buildings cool during the hot summer months. Additionally, smaller pieces of stone were used to create mosaics on all surfaces of the churches, known locally as terrazzo. The skills used to create these magnificent designs have been passed down through the generations to artisans today, who carry on the ancient traditions of their ancestors.

Additionlly, the churches contain tombs or plaques in their floors. These Church Floor Artifacts contain valuable information that can provide a glimpse into the Venetian past.


Map

Google map highlighting the churches.

See Also

Church Floor Artifacts Islands

List of Churches

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "World Monuments Fund Affiliates". http://www.wmf.org/affiliates. 
  2. ↑ http://arzana.org/chi-siamo/

Concina, Ennio. A History of Venetian Architecture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Howard, Deborah. The Architectural History of Venice. London: Yale University Press, 2002.

Sammartini, Tudy. Decorative Floors of Venice. London: Merrell, 2000.

External Links

http://churchesofvenice.co.uk

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