Notes
One of the six great Scuola, this society was founded in 1261. It has been in its present location since 1301. The court side facade of the building goes back to 1454, and Pietro Lombardo is considered to be responsible for the marble screen, Scalone Monumentale (c. 1481), that stretches across the court. The Scuola follows the tradional floorplan for such buildings, with a main hall on the ground floor and assembly hall above. Accessed by a flight of stairs, the off the upper hall is the albergo and a small chapel. The Hall of the Cross, holds the reliquary of the cross; the most prized possession of the Scuola. Given in 1369 by Filippo de'Masseri it is a fragment of the True Cross. Paintings depicting the Miracles of the Relic by Bellini, Carpaccio and Bastiani have been removed to the Accademia Gallery. The grand double staircase is attributed to Mauro Codussi in 1498, and San Giovanni Hall was renovated under the direction of Giorgio Massari in 1727.
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
