This 16th-century church with its facade stacked with muscular caryatids – which the celebrated art critic Ruskin thought ‘the most monstrous example of the Grotesque Renaissance’ – was famous for its female musicians. The accomplished girls came from the adjoining orphanage, designed by Antonio Sardi, and played amid Baldassare Longhena’s trumpeting angels and in the charming frescoed music room. To reserve tours, email booking@fondazioneveneziaservizi.it.
Originally built as a refuge to help those suffering from a deadly 16th-century famine, the church continued to receive handsome donations over the centuries, leading to modifications and decorative flourishes by artists such as Tiepolo, Molinari and Cherubini who, in 1905, decorated the ceiling, blending 18th-century style with emerging belle époque fashions. The church’s acoustics are also exemplary and it’s well worth attending one of the concerts held in the elliptical Music Hall.
The church is now deconsecrated and the complex is owned by IRE, a public institution that runs homes for the elderly. It's not currently open to the public.
