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The Church of San Giorgio dei Greci
The Church of San Giorgio dei Greci. Picture by Paolo da Reggio. Image published under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Licence The church of San Giorgio dei Greci is located in the vicinity of the Rio dei Greci, a minor canal bridged thirty metres downstream by the Riva degli Schiavoni. The number of Greeks living in Venice increased to approximately fifteen thousand after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The San Giorgio dei Greci, constructed by the Greek community, was completed in 1573. The Greeks were an enterprising and wealthy minority with sufficient influence to obtain permission for the construction of this Orthodox Church. The original architect, Sante Lombardo, designed a simple domed structure to which his successor, Bernardo Ongarin, added the inclined campanile. However, it is the luminous golden interior and the intensely spiritual mosaics, icons and sacred images which make the San Giorgio such a rare treasure. Amongst the notable works of art on display are the 14th century icon of the Blessing of Christ located on the left side of the Royal gate, the golden mosaic of Christ enthroned and flanked by Mary and Saint John the Baptist in the Sanctuary, and the two iconostasis columns. The church was mostly decorated by craftsmen from the island of Crete, a Venetian colony for over 400 years. Some of the best works are by Michael Damaskinos, the leading iconographer of his day, and Emmanuel Tzanes-Bounialis, who was also a priest at the church. The central panel of the richly ornate iconostasis contains a simple but cleverly designed mosaic of the Annunciation which also serves as the focal point of the nave. The ceiling is decorated by a superb 16th century fresco of the Last Judgement by Giovanni di Cipro while one of the side doors features an eye-catching mosaic of Saint George slaying the dragon.
The interior of the San Giorgio dei Greci. Picture by Paolo da Reggio 17 December 2005. Numerous icons and religious symbols are also displayed in the neighbouring Hellenic Institute and Museum of Byzantine Icons although many remain in storage due to a lack of space. The church was formerly the centre of a thriving Greek community which included a seminary for Orthodox priests, a nunnery and a Greek Girls School. However, the number of Greeks living in Venice dwindled rapidly after Napoleon invaded the city in 1797 and attempted to seize Greek property. The San Giorgio dei Greci survived these upheavals and its priests continue to celebrate the Orthodox Liturgy. The church became the seat of the Archdiocese of Italy in 1991 and is now the centre of Italy’s extensive Greek Diaspora. © 2006 LACT Limited. All rights reserved. San Marco Frari Salute San Zanipolo San Sebastiano San Pantalon Maria dei Miracoli San Nicolo San Giorgio San Zaccaria San Francesco Madonna dell'Orto
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