The Church of San MartinoLocal Traditions
The Church of San Martino
St. Martin, bishop of Tours, is one of the most famous Saints of Christianity, and was also one of the most revered Saints in the Middle Ages. In Venice his cult is so rooted that still today, on November 11th, the Saint's day, Venetian children prepare a San Martino biscuit and go around the city banging tin lids and singing.
Right from its origins, Venice has had a church dedicated to this saint. According to tradition, it was founded at the end of the 6th century, although it seems more likely to date back to around the middle of the 8th century.
The current building dates back to the 16th century and was designed by Jacopo Sansovino: the architect rotated the entire structure by ninety degrees and gave it a square plan, adding two chapels on each side and the presbytery with a vaulted ceiling, frescoed with the painting ‘Gloria di San Martino’ by Jacopo Guarana.
Inside the church you can immediately see the parapet of the ornate organ of the Supper of Christ by Gerolamo Santacroce (1549), the funeral monument dedicated to the doge Francesco Erizzo, designed by Mattia Carnero (1633), Our Lady of Sorrows and the Deposition of Christ by Palma il Giovane and finally a small altar by Tullio Lombardo, now used as a baptistery, coming from the demolished church of the Holy Sepulcher.
The Church of San Martino is located in the Castello district, a short distance from the Venice Arsenal! To reach it, we recommend using the vaporetto and getting off at the 'Arsenale' stop.
Venice: Prospero Alpini and the discovery of coffee in Europe
Everyone knows about coffee, the energizing and hearty drink consumed by millions of people every day! We Italians are great coffee dri...View
Venice: The bridge of Fists in the Dorsoduro district
The Bridge of Fists, located in the Dorsoduro district, owes its name to an ancient tradition of Venice: the War of Fists. The inhabita...View
Venice: The red stone of the 'Sotoportego de la peste'
Mysteries & Legends
Walking around Venice along the narrow streets and across the squares, you could happen to notice strange slabs on the pavement... whic...View
Treviso: Mr. Carnevale’s confetti factory in Paese
We all know what confetti is! It is little pieces of colored paper that are thrown into the air during the course of carnival celebrati...View
Padua: The biodiversity garden in the Padua Botanical Garden
Unknown places & works
Founded in 1545, the Botanical Garden of Padua is the oldest botanical garden in the world to be still in its original location; it cov...View
Venice: The relief of the man with the pipe at Palazzo Loredan on the Grand Canal
Mysteries & Legends
One of the oldest buildings on the banks of the Grand Canal is Palazzo Loredan, built in the 13th century and currently seat of the Tow...View
Verona: The equestrian monument at Cangrande della Scala in Verona
One of the most famous people in the history of Verona is surely Cangrande della Scala, Lord of Verona from 1308 to 1329, the year of h...View