VENICE DURING THE RENAISSANCE CADY COHEN, ALEX KOTHE, & TAYLOR MEALEY

INTRO The Renaissance was a period of revival of Greek and Roman culture in Europe. During the Renaissance, the Italian city of Venice was a center of art, architecture, and trade. The entire city was built on piles sunk into marshy islands and the 150,000 people living in Venice during the Renaissance used the many rivers canals as roadways. Venice was the 3 rd largest city in the world at the time, the 1 st being Constantinople and 2 nd being Technochtitan.

GEOGRAPHY Venice was built on piles of logs sunken into marshy islands. It resides in the end of the secluded Lagoona Veneta in the Aegean Sea. Because of its prime geographical location, Venice prospered in oversea trade and had a strong and powerful Navy.

ARCHITECTURE The Santa Maria della Salute, also known as The Basilica of Saint Mary of Health, is an architectural legacy of Venice. The church, first completed in 1681, was built because there were too many people flooding the two other churches in the area, as a result of the plague epidemic. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary because she was thought to be a protector of the Republic. The Salute is a vast, octagonal building with two domes and a pair of beautiful bell-towers at the back. Built on a platform made of 100,000 wooden piles, it is constructed of Istrian stone and marmorino (brick covered with marble dust). At the front of the pediment stands a statue of the Virgin Mary who presides over the church which was erected in her honor. The façade is decorated with figures of Saint George, Saint Theodore, the Evangelists, the Prophets, and Judith with the head of Holofernes. The interior has its architectural elements determined by the coloration of the material, and the central hall with its ring of saints on top of a detailed railing is a novel design. It is full of Marian symbolism – the great dome represents her crown, the cavernous interior is her womb, and the eight sides are the eight points on her symbolic star. The church had a large influence on contemporary architects immediately after its completion.

True/False The Salute is a vast, pentagonal building with two domes and a pair of beautiful bell-towers at the back. The Santa Maria della Salute is also known as the Basilica of Saint Mary of health. The church, first completed in 1396, was built because there were too many people flooding the nine other churches in the area, as a result of the plague epidemic. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary because she was thought to be a protector of the Republic. The church had a small influence on contemporary architects immediately after its completion.

DOGE’S PALACE The Doge’s Palace, (also known as Palazzo Ducale) originally created in 814 AD, was the center of power-the Venetian Republic. In 976 AD it was razed to the ground in a civil war. It was built again in 1301, created by Filippo Calendario. But because Filippo was executed in 1355, the Doge’s Palace was built in two phases. The eastern wing was built in , but the western wing was completed in 1450 by Doge Marino Faliero. The Doge was the elected ruler of Venice who lived in this palace, hence the name, Doge’s Palace. The Palazzo Ducale was full of magnificent sculptures and paintings including the work of Tintoretto & Paolo Veronese. These painters influenced each other because they were competitive which, in the end, made each of them a better painter.

MATCHING 1.The Italian Name for Doge’s Palace 2.The year the Western wing was completed 3.The year the building of the Doge’s Palace started 4. The Architect who first started the building of the Doge’s Palace 5.The first year the first Doge’s Palace was created a b. Filippo Calendario c. 814 d e. Palazzo Ducale