The Church of San Moisè: from the Middle Ages to the Baroque

The history of the church of San Moisè has its roots in the distant Middle Ages. In fact the first nucleus of the church, dedicated to San Vittore Martire, was built between the end of the VIII century and the beginning of the IX century by the will of the Scoparii and Artigeri families who endowed the sanctuary with a rich land heritage.

A fundamental year for the history of the church is 947, the year in which the building was rebuilt by Moisè Valier. From that moment the church was registered to the holy prophet in honor of the "new founder". The alternating events of San Moisè continue in the following centuries. In 1105, after the terrible fire that devastated the lagoon city, the building was rebuilt again. The "Baroque make-up" operated by Alessandro Tremignon dates back to 1632 and gave the church its characteristic appearance.

During the Napoleonic regime, in San Moisè it touched the same fate as many other Italian ecclesiastical institutions: in fact the parish was suppressed to be merged with that of San Marco. In 1967, the church regained the deserved parochial rights.

The name of Venice, it is well known, is inextricably linked to monuments such as the Basilica of San Marco, or to works by artists such as Tiziano and Veronese. But its beauties don't all end here!

In fact, the small Baroque casket of San Moisè is an unmissable stop for your stay in the lagoon. The splendid façade of the Tremignon, in fact,  embellished by the cenotaph of Vincenzo Fini, who commissioned the renovation work, is already worth all the effort of your journey. An authentic masterpiece, the pinnacle of the Paduan architect's production who loved the work of Baldassarre Longhena. 

But fear not, other wonders await you inside, crossing the magnificent entrance!

Such as, for example, the Lavender of the feet made by Jacopo Robusti, known as Tintoretto, one of the greatest Venetian artists, famous for his fiery temperament and for his speed of execution which allowed him to wrest the most prestigious commissions from his rivals.

Of great value is the high altar of the church which fully represents the concept of unity of the arts so dear to the Baroque. In fact the grandiloquent machine is the result of the teamwork of the aforementioned Tremignon, designer of the entire apparatus and of the German-born Italian sculptor Enrico Merengo and the Venetian artist Michelangelo Morlaiter.

Of great historical value, then, is the tombstone of the Baron of Lauriston, Jhon Law, a great Scottish financier who died in 1729 on Venetian soil.

Still noteworthy is the splendid Pietà realized in 1723 by Antonio Corradini, the famous sculptor who left his artistic testament in the Sansevero Chapel in Naples.

The church of San Moisè is located in Campo San Moisè, 1456, 30124, Venice.

The church can be visited from Monday to Saturday from 9:30 to 12:30.