The Chiesa di Santa Maria della Carità, commonly referred to as Santa Maria della Carità, is a deconsecrated church located in the Dorsoduro sestiere of Venice, Italy, at Dorsoduro 1050, 30123, adjacent to the Gallerie dell’Accademia and near the Accademia Bridge. Originally constructed in the 12th century as part of a Scuola Grande and hospital complex, it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Charity. Rebuilt in the 15th century by architect Bartolomeo Bon, it is a significant example of Venetian Gothic architecture with Renaissance and Baroque modifications. Suppressed in 1807 during the Napoleonic era, the church was repurposed as part of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia and, since 1817, houses the Gallerie dell’Accademia, one of Italy’s premier art museums, showcasing Venetian painting from the 14th to 18th centuries.
Santa Maria della Carità was founded in 1134 by the Augustinian Order
as part of a Scuola Grande della Carità, a confraternity dedicated to
charity and hospital care, one of Venice’s six major scuole grandi,
alongside the Scuola Grande dei Carmini. The original Romanesque church,
built on land donated by the Mastropiero family, served as a spiritual
and charitable hub for Dorsoduro, providing aid to the poor, sick, and
pilgrims, as noted by historian Giulio Lorenzetti. The adjacent hospital
and convent, established concurrently, were integral to the scuola’s
mission.
By the 15th century, the Romanesque structure was
deteriorating, prompting a rebuild between 1441 and 1452 under
Bartolomeo Bon, a prominent Gothic architect known for the Ca’ d’Oro and
Porta della Carta at the Doge’s Palace. The new church, completed in
1452, adopted the Venetian Gothic style, reflecting the city’s
architectural trends, as seen in Palazzo Molin del Cuoridoro. Baroque
modifications were added in the 17th century, particularly to the
interior, under the patronage of noble families like the Contarini and
Morosini, who also supported San Michele in Isola and San Carmini.
In 1807, during the Napoleonic occupation, the church and scuola
were suppressed, a fate shared with Santa Margherita and other Venetian
religious institutions. The complex was repurposed as the Accademia di
Belle Arti di Venezia, founded in 1750 by Giambattista Piazzetta and
later formalized by Napoleon in 1807 as a fine arts academy. The church
was deconsecrated, and its interior was adapted to house the Gallerie
dell’Accademia, established in 1817 to display Venetian art collected
from suppressed churches and monasteries. The scuola’s halls were
integrated into the museum, preserving their Gothic architecture, while
the hospital buildings were partially demolished or repurposed.
Restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries addressed acqua alta (high
tide flooding) and structural decay, with significant work in the 1990s
under the Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici to preserve the
Gothic façade and interior decorations. Today, the Gallerie
dell’Accademia is a premier art museum, showcasing masterpieces by
Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, and Giorgione, making Santa Maria della
Carità a cultural cornerstone, akin to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
but focused on Venetian Renaissance and Baroque art.
Santa Maria della Carità is located in the Dorsoduro sestiere, a
culturally rich district known for its artistic institutions and serene
ambiance, contrasting with the bustling San Marco sestiere. Positioned
at Dorsoduro 1050, adjacent to the Accademia Bridge and overlooking the
Grand Canal, the church is near Chiesa di Santa Margherita (400 meters),
Chiesa di San Raffaele Arcangelo (500 meters), Palazzo Basadonna
Giustinian Recanati (300 meters), Palazzo Balbi (400 meters), Chiesa di
Santa Maria dei Carmini (500 meters), and Peggy Guggenheim Collection
(300 meters). Its canal-front location offers stunning views, aligning
with the prominence of Palazzo Gussoni, Palazzo Balbi, Palazzo Barbarigo
della Terrazza, and Palazzo Barbarigo Minotto, though its museum role
makes it more accessible than these private palazzi.
The nearest
vaporetto stop is Accademia (Lines 1 and 2, 100 meters), with Ca’
Rezzonico (Lines 1 and 5.1, 400 meters) and San Tomà (Lines 1 and 2, 500
meters) also nearby. The Santa Lucia railway station is 1.3 km away,
reachable by vaporetto or a 15-minute walk, and Piazza San Marco is 1 km
away, a 15-minute walk via the Accademia Bridge. The Alilaguna service
to Venice Marco Polo Airport (13 km) is available at Zattere (600
meters). The church’s proximity to the Accademia Bridge ensures high
accessibility, similar to San Moisè and San Zulian, but its Dorsoduro
setting is less crowded.
As part of the Gallerie dell’Accademia,
the former church is open to the public Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15 AM
to 7:15 PM (Monday until 2:00 PM, last entry 6:30 PM), closed on January
1 and December 25. Admission is €12 for adults, €2 for EU citizens aged
18–25, and free for children under 18 and on the first Sunday of each
month. Guided tours (€7) and audio guides (€6) are available in English,
and the museum is wheelchair-accessible with ramps, unlike the
restricted access of Palazzo Gussoni, Palazzo Balbi, or Palazzo
Barbarigo della Terrazza. Tickets can be booked via
www.gallerieaccademia.it, and visitors should check tide forecasts via
the Hi!Tide app, as acqua alta may affect access. The museum’s
integration into the former church and scuola halls offers a unique
experience, contrasting with the event-based access of Santa Margherita
or the limited hours of San Biagio and Nome di Gesù.
Santa Maria della Carità is a prime example of Venetian Gothic
architecture, designed by Bartolomeo Bon with Renaissance and Baroque
modifications, reflecting its 15th-century rebuild and later
interventions. Its conversion into the Gallerie dell’Accademia has
preserved its architectural shell while adapting the interior for museum
use, similar to Santa Margherita’s auditorium or Zecca’s library.
Exterior
The façade, facing the Grand Canal, is a Gothic
masterpiece in brick and Istrian stone, completed in 1452. It features:
Gothic Portal: A pointed arch with intricate tracery, adorned with a
relief of Our Lady of Charity presenting alms, attributed to Bartolomeo
Bon, reflecting the scuola’s charitable mission, similar to the relief
on San Carmini.
Upper Façade: A series of ogival windows with trefoil
arches, framed by polychrome brickwork, typical of Venetian Gothic, as
seen in Palazzo Molin del Cuoridoro. A 17th-century Baroque pediment
with statues of the Virgin Mary and saints adds a later layer, less
flamboyant than San Moisè but more ornate than San Biagio.
Campanile:
A 14th-century Gothic tower, 50 meters tall, with brick arches and a
conical spire, rebuilt in the 15th century, similar to those of San
Geremia and San Carmini.
The façade’s Gothic elegance contrasts with
the neoclassical simplicity of La Maddalena and Nome di Gesù, aligning
with the Gothic-Baroque fusion of San Carmini and the Renaissance purity
of San Michele in Isola. Its canal-front prominence enhances its
visibility, akin to Palazzo Gussoni and Palazzo Balbi.
Interior
The interior, now part of the Gallerie dell’Accademia, retains a
single-nave layout with side chapels, covering approximately 800 m²,
adapted for museum galleries. Key architectural features include:
Ceiling: Originally frescoed, likely with scenes of the Virgin Mary,
possibly by a 15th-century artist like Jacopo da Verona, but largely
removed during the Napoleonic conversion. Restored fragments remain in
the former scuola halls, now museum rooms.
Main Altar Area: Converted
into a gallery space, the former altar retains traces of marble cladding
and stucco, with modern lighting to showcase paintings, similar to Peggy
Guggenheim’s adapted palazzo.
Scuola Grande Halls: The adjacent
scuola, with Gothic arches and a wooden ceiling, houses major artworks,
preserving its 15th-century structure, as noted by Deborah Howard.
Side Chapels: Transformed into exhibition spaces, the chapels feature
marble columns and faded stucco, reflecting the church’s Augustinian
past, similar to San Giuseppe di Castello’s barco.
The interior’s
museum adaptation contrasts with the intact Baroque interiors of San
Moisè, San Geremia, and San Carmini, aligning with the functional
conversions of Santa Margherita and Zecca. Its Gothic framework,
enhanced by Renaissance and Baroque elements, shares similarities with
San Michele in Isola’s classical design.
Santa Maria della Carità, as part of the Gallerie dell’Accademia,
houses one of the world’s premier collections of Venetian art, with
masterpieces from the 14th to 18th centuries, making it a cultural
counterpart to Peggy Guggenheim Collection’s modern art focus. Key works
include:
The Tempest by Giorgione (c. 1508): A enigmatic
Renaissance masterpiece, depicting a pastoral scene with mysterious
figures, housed in the former scuola halls.
Feast in the House of
Levi by Paolo Veronese (1573): A monumental painting, originally for the
Scuola di San Giovanni Evangelista, showcasing Veronese’s vibrant colors
and grand scale, comparable to his works in San Zulian and San Giuseppe
di Castello.
Presentation of the Virgin by Titian (1534–1538): A
dramatic altarpiece, originally for the church’s main altar, now in the
museum, reflecting Titian’s mastery of color and composition.
Pietà
by Tintoretto (c. 1560): A dynamic Baroque painting, housed in the
former chapels, showcasing Tintoretto’s emotional intensity, similar to
his works in San Giuseppe di Castello.
Madonna and Child with Saints
by Giovanni Bellini (c. 1487): A serene Renaissance altarpiece,
reflecting Bellini’s luminous style, akin to works in San Carmini.
Fresco Fragments: Restored 15th-century frescoes in the scuola halls,
depicting Augustinian saints, attributed to minor artists like Jacopo da
Verona, less prominent than the frescoes in San Carmini or Palazzo
Barbarigo Minotto.
The museum’s collection, drawn from suppressed
Venetian churches and scuole, rivals the artistic significance of San
Apostoli, San Giuseppe di Castello, San Zulian, San Geremia, and San
Carmini, contrasting with the modern focus of Peggy Guggenheim and the
modest decor of San Biagio, Nome di Gesù, and Santa Margherita.
Santa Maria della Carità embodies Venice’s medieval charitable and
religious heritage through its Augustinian scuola and hospital,
reflecting the city’s commitment to social welfare, akin to the
confraternity roles of Scuola degli Albanesi and Scuola Grande dei
Carmini. Its transformation into the Gallerie dell’Accademia underscores
Venice’s cultural resilience, repurposing a sacred space for art
preservation, similar to Santa Margherita’s auditorium and Palazzo
Barbarigo Minotto’s opera venue. The museum’s collection, showcasing
Venetian masters, positions it as a cultural cornerstone, paralleling
Peggy Guggenheim’s modern art legacy and the scholarly role of Zecca’s
Marciana Library.
The Contarini and Morosini patronage mirrors
the aristocratic support seen in San Zulian, San Giuseppe, San Geremia,
and San Carmini, while its Gothic architecture connects to Palazzo Molin
and San Carmini. The church’s location near the Accademia Bridge and
Campo Santa Margherita integrates it into Dorsoduro’s artistic and
social fabric, contrasting with the tourist-heavy San Marco sites like
San Moisè and Negozio Olivetti. Its preservation through the
Soprintendenza ensures its legacy, akin to efforts for San Michele in
Isola and San Carmini.
Santa Maria della Carità, as the Gallerie dell’Accademia, is a top
destination for art lovers, praised in Tripadvisor reviews (4.5/5,
ranked among Venice’s top museums) for its “stunning Venetian
masterpieces” and “Gothic architecture.” Visitors highlight Giorgione’s
The Tempest and Titian’s Presentation of the Virgin, though some note
the museum’s dense layout can feel overwhelming, recommending audio
guides (€6) or guided tours (€7) for context. The former scuola halls,
with their Gothic arches, are described as “a hidden gem,” offering a
contrast to the crowded San Moisè or Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The
museum’s wheelchair accessibility and proximity to the Accademia Bridge
enhance its appeal, though acqua alta may disrupt visits, requiring
checks via the Hi!Tide app.
The vibrant Campo Santa Margherita
(400 meters) offers a lively backdrop, with nearby attractions
including:
Chiesa di Santa Margherita (400 meters): Deconsecrated
auditorium.
Chiesa di San Raffaele Arcangelo (500 meters): Baroque
church with Guardi paintings.
Palazzo Basadonna Giustinian Recanati
(300 meters): Liceo Artistico.
Peggy Guggenheim Collection (300
meters): Modern art museum.
Dining options like Osteria alla Bifora
(400 meters) or Gelateria il Doge (350 meters) offer Venetian cuisine
and gelato.
For a family of four seeking affordable three-star
accommodation in Dorsoduro, options include Hotel Agli Alboretti (300
meters) or Hotel Tiziano (400 meters), bookable via Booking.com or
Tripadvisor. Visitors should book tickets online to avoid queues and
plan visits during weekday mornings for a quieter experience.