Shrines of Italy: Santa Maria Gloriosa

The Minor Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa is one of the most prominent churches in Venice. Like many churches owned by the Franciscan community, the exterior façade is rather plain, although it’s interior design is undeniably rich in both Gothic and Venetian inspired architecture.

Throughout the church, you can find many important works in the history of Venetian sculpture, including two large and important altarpieces by Titian, with the first being the Assumption of the Virgin above the main altar and the second being the Pesaro Madonna, commissioned in 1518 by the local bishop.

Adjacent to the main altar is a side chapel, containing The Altar of Relics; a repository for the remains of many saints from centuries past. The choir stalls are perhaps the most unique feature of Santa Maria, as they serve to separate the main body of the church from the sanctuary; a design more commonly found in the churches of the East.

As I take my leave of this church, and of Venice itself, I am left with a sense of admiration at the testament of our forebears, and a feeling of wonder as to whether some other jewel of faith within this city lies yet undiscovered.