Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

Date
1340-1469
Work Type
church
Material/Technique
brick
marble

This church of the Franciscans is one of the largest in Venice; only San Giovanni e Paolo (Zanipolo) the church of the Dominicans is larger. Land was given to the order in 1250 and the first church was completed 1338. The current church was begun 1340, absorbing parts of the original and completed by 1469. It has been suggested that the plans may be those of Scipione Bon, a friar, but with no solid evidence. Nicolas Pisano was suggested as the architect by Vasari, however this has been dismissed by current scholarship. The monastery beside the church has been taken over by the Archivio di Stato di Venezia and houses its collection. The Frari interior is impressive; a Latin cross with transepts and aisles divided by 12 massive piers. In the center of the nave, the old monks choir, carved in wood, is intact and is the only surviving example standing in original piece and place. The only sculpture by Donatello in Venice is to be found in the Chapel of the Florentines.

References

Lorenzetti, Venice and Its Lagoon: Historical-Artistic Guide (Rome: Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato, 1961) as translated and with supplementary content by Taryn Marie Zarrillo, 2012/13

Contains information from the J. Paul Getty Trust, Getty Research Institute – the Art & Architecture Thesaurus, the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names, the Union List of Artist Names, the Cultural Objects Name Authority, and/or the Getty Iconography Authority – which is made available under the ODC Attribution License.
View on the Getty Vocabularies.
See Also
Related Fieldwork Collection
Medieval and Renaissance Venice
Venice and Its Lagoon
  • View of southeast transept, from northwest transept
  • View of choir stalls toward the nave, facing southwest from the crossing
  • View of choir stalls toward the nave, facing southwest from the crossing
  • View of choir stalls behind iconostasis toward the nave, facing southwest
  • View of iconostasis from the nave, facing northeast
  • View of the nave toward the iconostasis, facing southwest
  • View of the nave toward the iconostasis, facing southwest
  • View of the nave toward the iconostasis, facing southwest
  • Detail of iconostasis from behind and choir stalls, facing northeast
  • Detail view of pulpit on the left side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (bottom row, first from the left) on the left side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Looking up at groin vaults behind the iconostasis above the choir, facing southwest
  • Looking up at groin vaults behind the iconostasis above the choir, facing southwest
  • Detail of sculptural relief (bottom row, second from the left) on the left side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (upper row, second from the left) on the left side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (bottom row, third from the left) on the left side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (upper row, third from the left) on the left side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (bottom row, fourth from the left) on the left side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (bottom row, fourth from the left) on the left side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (upper row, first from the right) on the right side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (upper row, second from the right) on the right side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of iconostasis arch from the nave, facing south
  • View of iconostasis arch and organ behind, facing south
  • View of the organ through the iconostasis arch, facing south
  • View of iconostasis arch and organ behind, facing south
  • View of choir stalls through the iconostasis arch, facing south
  • Detail of sculptural relief (upper row, second from the right) on the right side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (upper row, third from the right) on the right side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (bottom row, fourth from the right) on the right side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (bottom row, third from the right) on the right side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (bottom row, third from the right) on the right side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (bottom row, second from the right) on the right side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • Detail of sculptural relief (bottom row, first from the right) on the right side of the iconostasis, from northeast
  • View of vaulting past the statues on the left side of the iconostasis, facing southwest
  • Detail of the statues above the iconostasis arch, facing west
  • Detail view of the statues above the iconostasis arch, facing west
  • Looking up the statues on the right side of the iconostasis, facing west
  • Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari - Interior: View of Nave and Monument to Doge Giovanni Pesaro
    Interior: View of Nave and Monument to Doge Giovanni Pesaro
  • Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari - Interior: View of Nave and Pesaro Altarpiece
    Interior: View of Nave and Pesaro Altarpiece
  • Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari - Interior: View of South Nave
    Interior: View of South Nave
  • Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari - Interior: View of South Nave and Barbaro Monument
    Interior: View of South Nave
  • Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari - Interior: Choir
    Interior: Choir
  • Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari - Interior: Nave
    Interior: Nave
  • Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari - Interior: Nave View with Canova Monument
    Interior: Nave View with Canova Monument
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