Venice - Italy - page 327

of the city's wealthiest families, whose talents lay in creating matchless opulence,
rather than in cohering to any single, recognizable architectural style. Accordingly,
there was no end to the fussy detailing he brought about through the marriage of
marble and expensive ultramarine, which kept master craftsmen busy for over a
decade. Today, the early-15th-century palace serves as a government museum.
Galleria Giorgio Franchetti ( % 041-5222349; € 5, € 2.50 reduced; Tues-Sun
8:15am-7:15pm, Mon 8:15am-2pm) was named in honor of the baron who went
to great efforts to restore the building to its original glory, and then filled it with
fascinating works of art, including some remarkable ancient pieces.
Just a stone's throw (or a right and then a left turn) from the Fondamente
Nuove vaporetto stop, is the imposing baroque facade of the beautiful Chiesa dei
Gesuiti (Salizzada dei Specchieri; Mon-Sat 10am-2pm and 4-7pm, Sun 4-7pm),
founded in the 12th century and reconstructed as recently as the 18th century.
The church follows a typical Jesuit plan, with its white interior attractively inlaid
with green marble and gilded stuccowork unique to Venice. Capped by sumptu-
ous domes and a spectacular vaulted ceiling, it includes a number of lovely paint-
ings; standouts are Jacopo Tintoretto's Assumption of the Virgin, and, to the
left-hand side of the church entrance, Titian's somber Martyrdom of Saint Lorenzo.
The main altar alone is worth the visit, particularly for the unusual representation
of Christ holding a cross and sitting on a globe.
Of the Venetians whom I have pressed to name their favorite church, many
are quick to cite San Maria dei Miracoli

5

(Rio dei Mirocoli; € 2.50; Mon-Sat
10am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm). Despite an unprepossessing exterior, it has multihued
marble throughout its rooms—lovely pinks, grays, and whites—and an impres-
sive dome. Designed by Pietro Lombardo (and built 1481-89), it typifies
Venetian Renaissance architecture, of which Lombardo became a master in his
later life. You'll enter a beguilingly simple space, but look up at the vaulted ceil-
ing and observe the 17th-century paintings of the prophets by Pier Maria
Pennacchi and his students (it wouldn't hurt to have a pair of opera glasses or
small binoculars with you). Very popular for weddings (it must be the pink and
white marble!), the church takes its name from a precious icon of the Virgin
(you'll see it above the altar) that was said to be responsible for a series of miracles
in the 1470s.
One of the city's less frequented attractions is Palazzo Labia (Campo San
Geremia, Cannaregio 275; % 041-781277 to arrange a free visit; usually Wed-Fri
between 3 and 4pm), once the home of Venice's flashiest family, known during
the 18th century for their extravagant displays of opulence; allegedly, the Labias
would throw furniture and jewels from their palace windows into the Grand
Canal, to prove how little material wealth meant to them. You won't encounter
gold tumbling from the windows of what is now home to a major Italian media
corporation, but you can still visit the exquisite ballroom dominated by frescoes
of Antony and Cleopatra by Giambattista Tiepolo. His portrayal of the Egyptian
queen throwing pearls into vinegar is a wonderful echo of the Labia family's
extravagant displays of wealth.
THE OTHER VENICE
In a city almost wholly devoted to the tourist trade, is it possible for the visitor to
experience some of the life known to residents? It's not very easy.