Renowned
and respected throughout Europe for their ostensible Christian devotion,
the Venetians spent lavishly for the edification of lasting
monuments to their faith.
In The Splendors of Piety
you’ll explore
the city’s greatest conventual churches and its religious
confraternities to discover the driving spiritual and secular interests
that prompted their construction and promoted the wealth of religious art
inside. Throughout the visit, you’ll also see how Venice’s maritime
activity, its cultural ties with Byzantium, and its physical environment
led to the development of the city’s unique "painterly"
art.
Beginning at the giant Franciscan
basilica of Saint Mary of the
Friars, symbol of the city's
popular devotion,
we'll return to the dawn of the Thirteenth Century and to a
time when heresies abounded and threatened political and
social order throughout Europe. In the shadow of the
great church, we'll hear the message of spiritual hope and comfort
brought to the
inhabitants of Medieval Venice by humble
friars and of the potential for subversion that concerned
instead the city's governing
aristocracy. Inside, we'll then talk about religious life during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
and about the people behind the incomparable works of art.
Titian's scandalous "Assunta" still dominates from the high altar.
As we retrace the artistic career of the most famed of the
Venetian painters, we'll learn how his religious artwork changed from the
vibrant pagan colors of his youth to the darkened drama of his later
years. The
Great School of Saint Roch then awaits us. In the gilded halls
of this charitable lay confraternity's meeting house, Tintoretto's nervous energy exploded onto the canvas to
express the restless painter's personal convictions about
eternal salvation and about the human conditions of his day. As his religious
message unfolds above and around us, we'll discuss the
appeal of the flagellant movement in a spiritually bereft
Europe and discover its indispensable political and social
role in Renaissance Venice. Our journey will then take us
to the massive basilica of Saints John and Paul, the
city's largest, where we'll talk about the role played by the
Dominicans and the church in the life of the city. While here,
we'll also enjoy Veronese's dazzling ceiling paintings and
discover how this upright man of faith came to be accused of
heresy by Venice's Holy Inquisition.
DURATION
MAJOR
SIGHTS
-
Church
of Our Lady of the Friars - works by Titian, Giovanni
Bellini, and Paolo Veneziano
-
Great
School of Saint Roch - works by Tintoretto
-
Church
of Saints John and Paul - works by Veronese
PRINCIPAL
TOPICS
-
Heretics
and mendicants: the spiritual crisis of post-feudal Europe
-
The
flagellant movement:
to suffer in the image of Christ
-
Civil
death: domestic economics and religious vocations
-
Indulgences
and Jus Patrontus: the financial aspects of spiritual salvation
-
Trade
guilds: welfare and faith in the urban world
-
The
altarpiece: a spiritual and social convergence
-
Pigments:
the chemistry of color
-
Perspective:
Venetian tone and Florentine line
REFERENCE
MATERIAL
-
Timeline:
a comprehensive timeline of the Italian Renaissance
illustrating the lives and works of the major painters of
the Venetian, Florentine, and Roman schools along with
concurrent religious events (356KB) preview
AVAILABILITY
This
itinerary is not available on Sunday mornings and on all
Christian holidays.
PRICE
The
price indicated is intended to cover the costs of the
Association's continued research initiatives and
organization and is in compliance with the conditions
concerning the activities of non-profit organizations as set
forth in the Italian Ministry of Finance Unified Code Article
111, paragraph 3 (Art. 111, T.U., comma 3)
- Price:
$225.00 (U.S. dollars) for
two (2) persons (incidental
transportation costs and entrance fees are not included).
Each
additional adult costs $50.00.
Minors
under the age of 18 cost $25.00 each.
Comments
on
The Splendors of Piety
“
I had high expectations due to the recommendation, and the
expectations were definitely met. Fantastic! I most
enjoyed having the “secret” history and “insider”
facts on the churches, the piety, the “splendor” of it
all.”
|
Leigh
Wasson
New York, New York
|
“ Terrific. “The Splendors of Piety” is a must for
anyone interested in art. Especially valuable were the
insights into the historical setting and the aspects of the
painters’ lives. Full of fascinating information. Most
art tours focus exclusively on technique and miss what this
tour provides
—
historical context and background on the
artists.”
|
Paul
Stark and Susan Ulick
New York, New York
|
“ I was
exhilarated. I would never have had the time or resources to
do the research that would compare with the information
supplied on this guided tour. The background information on the
history of the churches and its impact on the works of art was
at times amazing, intriguing, and hilarious.”
|
Dan
Tucker
Atlanta, Georgia
|
“
The
tour was exceptional! We felt that we were on an
expedition to discover the wonders of Venice, its art and
history. Most art tours point to a painting, give you a
name, date, and some bits of information about the work:
"notice the use of color in the Virgin's robe." Not so with "The Splendors of
Piety". This tour seamlessly integrates the art and
artists with the historical, cultural, political, social, and
economic events and theological ideas that shaped the artistic
expression of Venice during the Renaissance.”
|
Angie
and David Corbet
Wayland, Massachusettes
|
“ A wonderful explanation of the art, the artists, and their
world. The depth of knowledge was striking.”
|
Bill
and Barbara Jackson
McLean, Virginia
|
“ The tour helped us understand what religious life was
like, how it was woven into the social life of the city, and
how and why Venetian art developed. We enjoyed learning
more about the lives of the artists and how their personal
religious beliefs influenced their art
—
or didn't.”
|
Terry
and Ethel DeMarr
Scottsdale, Arizona
|
“ We developed an appreciation for how the artists worked,
their stylistic differences, and the historical context that
influenced their choice of subject matter. Ultimately, the
tour allowed the artists to speak to us across the ages.
Remarkable!”
|
Alan
and Jeanna Struthers
Ridgewood, New Jersey
|
“ I enjoyed the stories, the wonderful way the tour weaved
together world history, Venice, and the lives of the
artists.”
|
Donalee
Markus
Chicago, Illinois
|
“ Too often we miss the historical context in which art
develops and how it influences artists. The tour made all of
this so fascinating.”
|
Marsha
Iwan
Edina, Minnesota
|
“ I enjoyed how the tour wove together into a single
timeline the history (both civil and church), the political
aspects, and the art aspects. Not an easy job, but one well
done.”
|
Jon
Nelson
Rockford, Illinois
|
|
