The Santissimo Redentore Church is among the most famous and important churches in Venice. It was designed by Andrea Palladio and is considered among the most beautiful Renaissance churches. Every year on the third Sunday of July, a traditional folk festival called Festa del Redentore takes place here.
Santissimo Redentore Church Venice
Address, opening times and admission
Address: Redentore, Sestiere Giudecca, 30133 Venezia (tel. +39 041 275 0462). Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed: Sunday, January 1, Easter, August 15, December 25. Entrance fee: 3 Euro (discount: 1,50 Euro). Chorus Pass is valid. Public transportation: Vaporetto line 2, 41 (stop Redentore).
History and description
The Santissimo Redentore Church was commissioned by the Venetian Republic in 1577. It was done in gratitude for a promise made during the plague epidemic that befell the city between 1575 and 1577. The designer was Andrea Palladio, who however would die in 1580, before the church was completed. The construction was completed by Antonio da Ponte, who meticulously adhered to Palladio‘s project.
From a distance, the façade of the church resembles one large bas-relief. The interior is painted white and kept very sober.
However, there are a number of important works of art both in the church itself and in the sacristy. The lunette on the inner wall of the façade is by Pietro Vecchia and depicts “The Virgin presenting Blessed Felice da Cantelice to Jesus.”
In the nave there are works by Paolo Veronese, Jacopo Tintoretto, Francesco Bassano, Paolo Piazza and Jacopo Palma il Giovane, among others.
The highlight in the sacristy is the altarpiece depicting the “Baptism of Christ” painted by Paolo Veronese in 1560. Here you can also see reliquaries and works of art that refer to the history of the church. These include a panel painted by Alvise Vivarini, and other paintings by Jacopo Palma il Giovane, Jacopo Bassano and Francesco Bissolo, among others.
EEvery year on the third Sunday of July, the church is the scene of a popular festival called Festa del Redentore.