Santi Giovanni e Paolo Venice
What is beautiful about Venice is that they add a beautiful element to almost all of the things they hold important to them. Their government buildings, their marketplaces, their residences, and of course, even their religion. Churches and basilicas in Venice are no exception in the elaborate and breathtaking architecture present on the island. In fact, one could even say that they might think “the bigger, the better” when it comes to their religious buildings. One of the buildings that stands out from the rest is the Santi Giovanni e Paolo.
What’s special about this place is that it became the resting place for the remains of the doges of Venice—27 of them, can you imagine! This started in the 15th century, and even their funeral services were held in this church. Actually, this is not so much a church as it is a mini basilica. It boasts the title of being the biggest religious building found in Venice. It’s made of brick and is around 102 meters long and 35 meters wide—nothing but the best for Venitian doges, you could imagine.
The Dominicans made this church their project, and it took 200 years to build. Its design consists of Gothic style mixed with Renaissance. When you enter the basilica, you’ll be overwhelmed by how much grandeur it hosts inside. The tombs of the doges are distributed all over the basilica and the designs of each give you an idea of what it was like for the styles to change from Gothic, to Renaissance or Baroque. The biggest tombs are that of the Doges Pietro, Alvise Mocenigo and Giovanni. When you enter the basilica, you’ll easily see that these tombs are located just by the west wall. It’s a wonderful sight to see, and also a very spiritual experience.
Phone number: 041-523-5913
Address: Castello 6363 Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice, Italy