Description of the attraction
Santa Maria del Rosario, better known as I Gesuati, is a Dominican church in the Dorsoduro quarter of Venice, standing on the banks of the Giudecca Canal. Its well-lit, classical-style building with rococo decorative elements is one of the best-preserved in the city.
Construction of the church began in 1725 and was completed in 1743, and the last statue was placed inside in 1755, although the history of the religious order known as And Believe the Gesuati dates back to the 14th century. … The Jesuit Order of Blessed Jerome was founded in Siena, and became famous in Venice since 1390. The Jesuits, by the way, should not be confused with the Jesuits, whose church is located in the northern part of Venice. In 1493, the Jesuits, who had accumulated some fortune thanks to donations, began the construction of a small church on a plot of land facing the Giudecca canal, where other buildings of the order were already standing. Initially, the church was dedicated to San Girolamo, and later became known as Santa Maria della Visitazione. Later, the order began to experience difficulties in attracting new parishioners, and this coincided with an inability to fulfill some of the promises made to them, which led to the abolition of the order in 1668. All the property of the Jesuits of Blessed Jerome was redeemed by the Dominican order, including a small church.
Santa Maria della Visitazione could not accommodate all the members of the Dominican order, so in 1720 it was decided to build a new building - larger in size and more luxurious in its architectural design. The architect was appointed Giorgio Massari, who was called the greatest architect of Venice in the first half of the 18th century. Construction work began in 1725, when the Dominicans were still collecting money for this good cause. So much money was collected that the order was able not only to build a beautiful church, but also to decorate it with the works of the largest artists and sculptors of that time.
Massari decided not to touch the already standing building of Santa Maria della Visitazione, and began the construction of a new church a little to the side, in the place from where the view of the famous temples of Venice - San Giorgio Maggiore and Il Redentore opened. Massari himself was inspired by these great buildings, so his church from the outside resembles San Giorgio Maggiore, and from the inside - Il Redentore.
In order to support the weight of the enormous façade of Santa Maria del Rosario, 270 piles have been driven into the ground, and giant Corinthian columns are holding a heavy triangular pediment. The central portal is surrounded by four niches with statues of the four virtues - Justice, Prudence, Courage and Moderation.
The central nave of the church is well lit thanks to the huge windows on either side of it, which emphasize the contrast between the white walls and gray stone. The painting of the vaults of the temple was commissioned by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, who completed this work by 1739 - the artist decorated the ceiling with three huge frescoes. There, on the vaults, you can see other monochrome images, sketches of which were made by the same Tiepolo, but they themselves were made by his students. One of the church's altars is decorated with the work of another outstanding painter - "The Crucifixion" by Tintoretto. This painting was painted around 1560 and is the oldest in the temple. Also noteworthy are the numerous sculptures, most of which were made by Giovanni Maria Morlighter, who was called one of the most gifted sculptors of 18th century Venice.
