San Giovanni Elemosinario

San Giovanni Elemosinario Review

Storefronts make up the facade, and the altars were built by market guilds—poulterers, messengers, and fodder merchants—at this church intimately bound to the Rialto Market. The original church was completely destroyed by a fire in 1514 and rebuilt in 1531 by Antonio Abbondi, who had also worked on the Scuola di san Rocco. During a recent restoration, workers stumbled upon a frescoed cupola by Pordenone (1484-1539) that had been painted over centuries earlier. Don't miss Titian's St. John the Almsgiver and Pordenone's Sts. Catherine, Sebastian, and Roch, which in 2002 were returned after 30 years by the Gallerie dell'Accademia.