L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano ELIZABETH SALTHOUSE I ts classical, white stone façade, glinting in the after- noon s un, is one of the most photographed spots in Venice. Yet few know what it's called and fewer still make the 5-minute vaporetto water- bus trip across the water from St Mark's to study its breath-taking architecture, art and history up close. Let alone to climb the bell tower to enjoy the rooftop beau- ty of the city. If you've got a couple of hours to spare, here are just a few good reasons to visit the island of San Giorgio Mag- giore, known to locals as San Zorzi Mazor. F or an is land o f jus t 10 hectares, or roughly the size of ten sports fields, San Giorgio Maggiore packs an architectural punch. It's home to an old monastery that dates back to 982 AD, a classic sky-scraping bell tower from 1576 and arguably some of the most beautiful cloisters in V enice. But by far the mos t imposing building on the island is the Basilica of San Giorgio M aggiore w ith its double Corinthian-topped columns and statued pedestals. The basilica is one of the most elegant buildings in Venice with a magnificent setting at the center of St Mark's Basin oppo- site the Doge's Palace; a prime position as one of the first sights visible to travellers approaching from the sea. Its stone façade is reminiscent of ancient Greek and Roman temple architecture. And its style would go on to become the blueprint for the porticoed houses of grand touring British gentry of the 1700s and 1800s. But at its founding it was the first church that its architect, a stonemason from Padua, had ever planned on his own and a new departure for V enetian design. The draughtsman was Andrea Di Pietro della Gondola, later known as Andrea Palladio, who had been making a name for himself as a designer of classi- cally inspired country retreats for wealthy local aristocrats and merchants. He had just arrived in Venice when he was commis- sioned to make some improve- ments to a plain, new refectory for the little island community of Benedictine monks in 1560. And the brothers must have been happy with the suitably monastic result, as they commissioned Palladio to prepare a model for their new church w ith w ork beginning in 1566. What the middle-aged Palla- dio produced was one of the most architecturally influential buildings in Venice. His genius was to combine an ancient pagan temple exterior with a high, light-infused Christian interior evoking the w indow s of the Roman baths of Caracalla. The result is a sublimely graceful contemplative space with classi- cal ancient proportions unseen for centuries that, reinvigorated by Palladio, would inform archi- tectural design for centuries more to come, from Europe to America to Asia. But the Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore didn't just inspire Pal- ladio, fixing his place in archi- tectural history down the ages, it stirred painters and artists too, some of whose works can still be seen in situ and deserve a visit. On either side of the central door are statues of Saint George and S aint S tephen. But s tep through the epic façade into the airy spaciousness of the basilica and you enter a bright gallery of religious art. From the altar rail you can admire two enormous paintings, the Las t S upp er, painted in 1592, and The Fall of Manna, by local Renaissance master Tin- toretto. H is Entombment of Christ also decorates the wall of the Chapel of the Dead. And Sebastiano Ricci of the Baroque School of Venice created the Madonna enthroned with Saints, arguably one of the best in the bas ilica. N ot to mention the pieces by Palma Giovane and Jacopo and Leandro Bassano. S adly, though, V ittore Carpaccio's vigorous master- piece, St George and the Dragon, after w hom the bas ilica is named, is kept in the Conclave Room that is usually closed to the public. A nd P aolo Veronese's The Wedding Feast at Cana, stolen from the refecto- ry by Napoleon, still hasn't been returned so you'll have to make do with a photograph of the stun- ning work on the wall where the canvas should hang. But San Giorgio Maggiore isn't just home to old art, it regu- larly acts as a venue for the con- temporary art of Venice's Bien- nale in a wonderful juxtaposition of old and new. If you go over to the is land for nothing els e, alw ays check out its gallery space in the basilica, along its promenade, in the monastery and the old warehouses behind. The monastery building has persisted for over a millennium, although not always as the home to religious faithful as Napoleon converted it to a military bar- racks when he conquered Venice in 1797. Thankfully, the Cini family has spent the last sixty years bringing the monastery, the Longhena Library, its Palladian cloisters and glorious ornamental gardens back to their former beauty in honor of their son, Giorgio, who was lost in an acci- dent. And today we can revisit the splendor of it all with regular public tours and mus ic concerts. And finally, one last reason to take the vaporetto over to San Giorgio Maggiore - the spectacu- lar views. From the ground you have a panoramic view of St Mark's Basin that few see. The horizon s tretches from La G iudecca island, home to Palladio's sec- ond church, Il Redentore, past the iconic dome of the Salute and the entrance to the Grand Canal, round to St Mark's Square. It s w eeps along the Riva degli Schiavoni promenade, past the park of S ant'Elena and out tow ards the Lido, w here the lagoon exits to the Adriatic. For anyone who loves Venice, the view back towards the glorious pale pink D oge's P alace is thrilling. But climb or take the lift to the top of the campanile bell tow er and you have an absolutely incomparable view over the D oge's P alace, S t Mark's Basilica, the entire city and out towards the Alps and Dolomites on one side and the Adriatic Sea on the other. All without the crowds of St Mark's. Priceless. So next time you're in Venice why not jump on the vaporetto number 2 from San Zaccaria and make that 5 minute crossing. You'll find art, architecture and awe-inspiring views, not to men- tion peace, tranquility and crowd-free space to contemplate Venice's beauty. And after just a few minutes you'll understand why the Benedictines made it their home and why Palladio's work made him the most influen- tial architect in the world. Andi- amo! For an island the rough size of ten sports fields, San Giorgio Maggiore packs an architectural punch ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES San Giorgio Maggiore: Venice's island gem

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