Church Floor Artifacts
This article contains information on the Church Floor Artifacts of Venice.
For a list of Churches in Venice, see Churches. For information on a typical artifact, see Church Floor Artifact.
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Churches with Assessed Artifacts | 74 |
---|---|
Total Number of Artifacts | 2221 |
Number of Tombs | 1724 |
Number of Plaques | 497 |
A church floor artifact is a piece of stone that was inlaid in the floor after construction. These artifacts are identifiable as they are typically a different colored stone than the surrounding floor or contain an inscription. Venetian church floor artifacts are broken into two categories, tombs and plaques. One of the reasons visitors choose to enter the churches of Venice is to view the artwork they contain. The artwork is not limited to sculptures and paintings displayed at eye level on the walls of building or on podiums in public squares. Many of Venice’s relics are found below eye level, in the floors of churches. Venetians used the materials available to decorate all aspects of their lives, including the ground they walked on. Some of these floor artifacts go unnoticed by visitors because they are overwhelmed by the other sights around them and forget to look at what is below their feet. Overlooking the floors of churches has not only allowed these pieces to slip out of the minds of visitors, but has also led to neglect in their care and protection.
Churches with Artifacts

This map shows the churches of Venice, excluding the Lagoon islands, represented as vertical bars, where the height of each church building corresponding to the number of floor artifacts found in its floor. For example, the tallest bar on the graph corresponds to the Church of San Zanipolo (Santi Giovanni e Paolo) in Castello which has 207 church floor artifacts. [1]
Artifact Breakdown
There are two types of artifacts found in the floors of Venetian churches: tombs and plaques. The difference between tombs and plaques is described on the Church Floor Artifact page. [2]
Map
There are 74 churches in the city of Venice that have assessed church floor artifacts, 6 of which are located on the Lagoon islands. [3]
See Also
References
- ↑ Gagnon, Davidm Thompson, Kelly, Ruscitti, Eric. Embedded Heritage: A Study of Venetian Church Floors. An Interactive Qualifying Project for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 2005.
- ↑ Dechaine, Danielle, Hennessey, Meghan, Orszulak, Jeffrey, Rullmann, Kevin. Treasures Underfoot: Preserving Venice's Church Floor Artifacts. An Interactive Qualifying Project for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 2012.
- ↑ Dechaine, Danielle, Hennessey, Meghan, Orszulak, Jeffrey, Rullmann, Kevin. Treasures Underfoot: Preserving Venice's Church Floor Artifacts. An Interactive Qualifying Project for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 2012.
Bibliography
Dechaine, Danielle, Hennessey, Meghan, Orszulak, Jeffrey, Rullmann, Kevin. Treasures Underfoot: Preserving Venice's Church Floor Artifacts. An Interactive Qualifying Project for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 2012.
S. Hoey, M. Kahan, P Marchetti, K Mazza. Convents, Palaces and Churches: Transformation of Historic Buildings and the Impact on Venice’s Neighborhoods. An Interactive Qualifying Project for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 2003.
Santos,Luiz G., Petrowski,Craig Peter, Kristant,Elaine Hazel, Delaive,Amanda Leigh. The Church Floors in Venice, Italy -- an Archeological Study and Analysis. An Interactive Qualifying Project for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 2002.
External Links
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