Altars

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For general information see Altar

Altars

Altars of the Churches of Venice
Total Number of Altars 518
Total Number Devoted to Saints 331
Altars with Relics 62
Altars Privately Patronized 55
Most Popular Saint Maria
Most Popular Artist Palma il Giovane
v • d • e

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 sacrificial 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. [1]

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).

Body of Saint Mark

According to legend, in 828, two Venetian merchants (Buono da Malamocco and Rustico da Torcello) abducted the Body of Saint Mark from the Egyptian city of Alexandria in order to protect the body from being destroyed by Muslim forces. Upon returning to the city, the two merchants presented the body to the Doge, and the body was kept in the Doge's Palace until the Basilica of San Marco (Church) was constructed. [2]

Body of San Nicolò

The Bones of San Nicolò are located in the High Altar of the Church of San Nicolò in Lido. The bones constitute only half of the alleged body of the saint, as the rest are kept in the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, Bari, Italy. [3] San Nicolò is the Saint often cited as the inspiration for the modern cultural figure Santa Claus.

Tooth of San Pantalon

The Tooth of San Pantalon is Located in Church of San Pantalon, along with his leg bones and many other bone fragments. [4]

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, Donatello, and Bellini have also painted altar artworks all across Venice.

List of All Altars

References

  1. ↑ https://www.scribd.com/document/82226278/Humfrey-Mackenney-Venetian-Trade-Guilds-as-Patrons#:~:text=This%20article%20discusses%20the%20role,rather%20than%20larger%20decorative%20programs.
  2. ↑ http://www.arts.magic-nation.co.uk/mark6.htm
  3. ↑ https://www.stnicholascenter.org/who-is-st-nicholas/real-face/relics-in-the-lido-of-venice
  4. ↑ La chiesa di San Pantalon a Venezia, 2016
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