Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Don't Miss
Palladio's Facade
Palladio's radical 16th-century design grafts a triangular Roman temple pediment
onto a lofty church facade. Three-quarter columns, incised capitals and sculptural
niches add depth and shadow to the white facade. White Istrian stones are set at
an angle to catch the afternoon sun.
Tintorettos
Flanking the altar are Tintoretto's uncharacteristically upbeat
Collecting the
Manna
and a lively
Last Supper
, where the apostles seem to be keeping a Venetian
osteria
open after hours. Nearby hangs what is considered to be Tintoretto's final
masterpiece, the moving
Deposition of Christ
.
Fondazione Giorgio Cini Shows
After escaping the Dachau internment camp with his son Giorgio, Vittorio Cini re-
turned to Venice on a mission to save Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore in 1951. Cini's
foundation
(
041 220 12 15;
www.cini.it
; Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore; adult/reduced €10/8;
guided tours in English & French 11am, 1pm, 3pm & 5pm Sat & Sun, in Italian 10am, noon, 2pm &
4pm Sat & Sun; San Giorgio Maggiore)
restored the island to glory as Venice's most vi-
tal centre for contemporary arts.
Monastery Complex
Behind Palladio's church are more treasures restored by Fondazione Cini: a refect-
ory and cloister by Palladio, and Baldassare Longhena's monumental staircase and
17th-century library. The refectory features a video projection of Paolo Veronese's
Nozze di Cana
(Wedding at Cana), which graced this hall until Napoleon's troops
brought it in pieces to France; it still hangs in the Louvre.
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