Description of the attraction
Madonna del Orto is a church in Venice in the Cannaregio quarter. It was built in the mid-14th century by the now defunct religious order of the humiliates, led by Tiberio da Parma, who is buried inside. Initially, the church was dedicated to Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, but in the 15th century it became known among the people as the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, since it was here that the statue of the Madonna was brought, miraculously found in a nearby orchard (ortho in Italian). The statue itself was made for the Church of Santa Maria Formosa, but was rejected.
Madonna del Orto stands on a very fragile foundation, and the first restoration work was carried out here already in 1399. The order of humiliates, which founded the church, was abolished in 1462 due to its "corrupted order", and the building was handed over to the congregation of canons of St. George. This religious organization also ceased to exist in 1668, and its property, including the Temple of the Madonna del Orto and the monastery attached to it, were transferred to the Cistercians. Finally, in 1787, the church became the property of the public in Venice. In the middle of the 19th century, large-scale restoration work was carried out in it, which ended with the entry of Venice into a unified Italy.
The brick façade of the Madonna del Orto, made in 1460-64, is divided into three parts by two rows of columns. The two side sections have quadruple vaulted windows, while the central one is decorated with a huge rosette window. The portal is crowned with a pointed arch with white stone decorations depicting St. Christopher, the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel. Under it is a porphyry tympanum. All together is part of the porch with Corinthian columns.
The upper central section is decorated with small arches and bas-reliefs with geometric motifs, and in each of the side sections there are 12 niches with statues of the apostles. The central section also houses five Gothic niches with 18th century statues depicting Justice, Nobility, Faith, Hope and Moderation, brought here from the ruined church of Santo Stefano.
Inside, the church is divided into a central nave and two side chapels with double pointed arches supported by Greek marble columns. The transept is absent, and the pentagonal apse located at the end is decorated with paintings by Tintoretto, who is buried here. The organ located at the entrance was made in 1878 and is considered one of the most powerful in Venice.
Next to the Madonna del Orto building there is a brick bell tower, erected in 1503. It has a square base and an oriental-style bulbous dome. At the top is a white marble statue of Christ the Redeemer. The old bells, the largest of which was made in 1424, were replaced at the end of the 19th century.
