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Santa Maria Formosa Church

Santa Maria Formosa Church

Highlight • Religious Site

Santa Maria Formosa Church

Recommended by 73 hikers out of 80

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Location: Venezia, Veneto, Italy

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Tips

Pauli

November 5, 2023

The large square Campo Santa Maria Formosa extends close to the Rio del Mondo Novo and at the western end of the commercial street Calle Longa Santa Maria Formosa. On the south side is the impressive church Chiesa Santa Maria Formosa.

Translated by Google •

®️einer 🚴‍♂️🇩🇪

June 21, 2024

Beautiful square not far from the Rialto Bridge

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🌿 Seit1984 ⚒️

October 5, 2025

🕍 Overview
Location: In the Castello district, directly on the square of the same name, Campo Santa Maria Formosa.

Name: "Formosa" means "well-formed" or "curvy." According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to Bishop Magnus in the 7th century as a beautiful matron and commanded him to build a church on this site.

Foundation: Originally built in the 7th century, remodeled several times – the current structure dates from the Renaissance period.

🏛️ Architecture
Architect: Mauro Codussi, one of the most important architects of the early Venetian Renaissance.

Floor plan: A combination of Greek and Latin crosses with a central dome – a harmonious blend of Byzantine tradition and Renaissance geometry.

Facades:

The main façade (1542), facing the canal, features the tomb of the Venetian admiral Vincenzo Capello.

The Baroque north façade (1604) is richly decorated with Corinthian and Ionic columns – also donated by the Capello family.

🎨 Artworks inside
The church houses works by:

Bartolomeo Vivarini

Palma il Vecchio

Leandro Bassano

Vincenzo Catena

Giulia Lama – one of the few known female painters of the Venetian Baroque.

📜 Historical significance
Celebrations: On February 2nd (Candlemas), the Doge and twelve festively dressed young women would procession to the church – commemorating the rescue of Venetian brides from pirates in 944.

Earthquakes & war: The church suffered multiple damages – including an earthquake in 1688 and a bomb during World War I in 1916. The dome was rebuilt in 1921.

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Details

Informations

Elevation 50 m

Weather

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Wednesday 26 November

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Max wind speed: 7.0 km/h

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Location: Venezia, Veneto, Italy

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Santa Maria Formosa Church

1. St. Mark's Square – St. Mark's Basilica loop from Venezia Santa Lucia

2. St. Mark's Square – St. Mark's Campanile loop from Venice

3. St. Mark's Square – St. Mark's Basilica loop from Venice

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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