SusanP

I just finished reading The Venetian Mask, by Rosalind Laker, a great historical novel about late 18th Century Venice centered around the Ospedale della Pieta, a music conservatory for orphaned girls. Vivaldi was director there in the early 18th C.

It's east of Piazza San Marco on Riva degli Schiavoni. I can't find anything about it in my guidebooks or doing a google search, but my Illustrated Venice Map says it has a "fine Tiepolo ceiling." Just wondered if anyone had been there, is it wonderful? Should I make time to go there? The book has made me interested. Thanks.

SusanP

ttt before it gets totally buried...

Grandma

Susan... hope you can link to the article I found. (See below) It explains all. We've stayed at the Metropole Hotel which is now on the site of the Ospedale.... and your question rang a bell!
http://csmonitor.com/2003/0129/p17s01-altr.html

kappa

From the key words Pieta, Vivaldi and on the Riva degli Schiavoni, I suppose you are probably talking about the Church Pieta. My guide Eyewitness guide book says simply "La Pieta". (Doesn't Ospedale mean like hospital?) La Pieta is located indeed on the Riva degli Schiavoni and it's like 100-200 meters from Piazza san Marco, after 3 middle size bridges. It does have the ceiling fresco "Triumph of Faith" by Tiepolo. It's a rather small chruch with no admission fee for entrance. You can take a quick look easily while taking a pleasant walk on the Riva.

kappa

Yes, Hotel Metropol is right next to La Pieta.

Ospedale = orphanage, hospital, sanatorium (from the page Grandma posted. Thank you, Grandma.)

NYCFoodSnob

Nice work, Grandma. I enjoyed the article and I'm glad you posted the link.

LoveItaly

Is this the place where unmarried or very poor Italian women would place their baby in sort of a chute contraption and then ring a bell and the nuns would then retreive the baby and raise them? I can't remember the building but I remember my Italian friend pointing to one and telling me this bit of history.

SusanP

Grandma, thanks so much for that article. I might try to catch one of those concerts.

LoveItaly, yes it was where you could leave your baby (girls only) and ring the bell and the nuns would retrieve the baby. Anyone interested in this history might want to read The Venetian Mask. There is more interesting stuff about that time. For instance, I didn't know that the aristocracy chose one son (not necessarily the oldest) to carry on the family and the remaining sons were not allowed to marry or have legitimate children. They didn't want there to be problems about who inherited the weath and power. And many of the women were forced into a convent because there weren't enough men in their class to marry and they couldn't marry below their class.

Kind of makes you glad you didn't live during that time...

LoveItaly

Hi SusanP, thanks, I had forgotten this bit of Venice history my friend had shared with me and then a bell went off when I read this thread. Do wish I could remember seeing the building. Don't think we went inside. Hmmm, a day when perhaps we had to much wine, LOL.

Did not know the other things, only one son could inherit etc. Interesting. Have heard that daughters were shuffled off to nunneries when an appropriate husband was not available.

Life was tough. We forget that sometimes as we tend to just visualize the beautiful side of life then.

elaine

I'm confused.
The institution I was thinking of with regard to abandoned babies is the Ospedaletto, aka Santa Maria dei Derelitti (abandoned ones).It's next to the Zanipolo (Giovanni et Paolo) church. Inside that Ospedaletto is The Sacrifice of Isaac by Tiepolo. There is also the Sala della Musica, a Baroque room with frescoes that celebrate the art of music.

SusanP

elaine, I'm not sure whether there's more than one such Ospedeletto, but the notation on the map also mentions that Vivaldi directed there and it seems to go along with the website Grandma gave me.

SusanP

kappa, I didn't mean to leave you out, thank you also for that input! La Pieta is simply what it is called on both the Illustrated map and my Streetwise Venice map.

kappa

Ok I post again to clarify a bit.

If Tiepolo's ceiling fresco is what you want to see, La Pieta is where you should go.

Moreover, my guide book says La Pieta(or Santa Maria della Visitazione) started its life as a foundling home for orphans. Today it is known also as Vivaldi's church because he directed musical groups there and wrote numerous pieces for the Pieta choir.

kappa

Posted too fast. The place was Ospedale in 15th century. Then it became a church and Vivaldi directed there from 1703 to 1740 (from the Eyewitness guide).

elaine

Hi
I'm thinking of a different building from the Pieta building

see
http://www.nycevenice.com/what-to-se...ello-area.html

SusanP

elaine, if you look at both your link and Grandma's, they are talking about the same thing, La Pieta apparently being another name for Santa Maria della Visitazione. Neither link refers to Santa Maria dei Derelitti. Thanks for that additional information on your link.

elaine

The reason I posted it is because the link I mentioned does make a distinction between the Pieta and the Derelitti.
The Santa Maria dei Derelitti is also mentioned on that page, just under the mention of the Giovanni et Paolo church, which it is adjacent to.

SusanP

Oh, now I see it, elaine! When I got to the part about La Pieta and saw that it was the same one mentioned in Grandma's link, I didn't go any further (was going to read the rest later, I was in a bit of a hurry). The Vivaldi one is the one I'm interested in. Thanks!

elaine

well, we've each learned something about these buildings.

Grandma

While you're in the Riva Schiavoni area ... if you have time to dine you won't be too far from Corte Sconta.. our favorite Venice restaurant. A meal in their courtyard on a nice day is a delightful experience. (And if you have to eat inside on a rainy day the food is pretty good too -