Church of St. Mary of Nazareth
(Commonly known as: Chiesa degli Scalzi)

National Monument
The barefooted Carmelite Friars began to build their convent (later demolished during the first half of the 19th century to make room for the railway station) and their church in 1656, according to the plan by Baldassare Longhena (b. Venice 1598, d. 1682).

After his death the plan was carried out by Giuseppe Pozzo, a Carmelite Friars (b. Trento 1645 – d. 1721), who also designed some of the altars and decorations.

This church is the most splendid example of the baroque style in Venice.

Strong contrasts of the light and shadow, the use of a variety of marbles, the glittering of gold friezes and the vigorous plastic quality of shapes and figures, both painted and sculpted and set in highly dramatic perspective, all combine to achieve a most colourful effect.

Everything seems to celebrate the triumph of the artist spirit over dead matter.

The Church measures is metres by 25; the facade is 24 metres high.

The façade
Designed by Giuseppe Sardi (b. S. Angelo di Vado – Pesaro 1680 – d. Rome 1753) and made of Carrara marble, it represents the triumph of the Virgin-Mother, whose statue dominates the centre. Six pairs of corinthian colums stand over a tall, solid pedestal. The niches set between them contain statues of Saints: Sebastian, Mary Magdalen, Margaret and John the Baptist. In the centre is a large imposing portal. These columns support and ornate entablature, which carries a further four pairs of composite colums; the statue of the Madonna is in the middle, flaked by St. Jerome, Faith, Hope (badly damaged after a fall) and St. Bartholoew. The façade is surmounted by a pediment, bearing the coat of arms of the Counts Cavazza, patrons of the Curch. On the pediment there is a statue of Christ triumphant, with Adam and Cain on his right and Abel and Eve on his left. The façade is the work of various artists, such as Clemente Molli ( b. Bologna 17th century), Francesco Penso, called Cabianca (b. Venice 1665 – d. 1737) and G. Bonazza ( b. Padua 1650 – d. 1736). It has been rather badly damaged, unfortunatly, by generations of pigeons.