San Giorgio dei Greci
Encyclopedia
San Giorgio dei Greci is a church in the sestiere or neighborhood of Castello, Venice
, northern Italy
. It was the center of the Scuola dei Greci
, the Confraternity of the Greeks in Venice.
For centuries, despite the close ties of Venice to the Byzantine
world, the Greek Orthodox rite was not permitted in Venice. In 1498, the Greek community gained the right to found the Scuola de San Nicolò dei Greci, a confraternity which aided members of that community. In 1539, after protracted negotiations, the papacy allowed the construction of the church of San Giorgio, financed by a tax on all ships from the Orthodox world.
Construction was started by Sante Lombardo
, and from 1548, by Giannantonio Chiona. The belltower was built in 1592. The interior has a monument to Gabriele Seviros (1619) by Baldassarre Longhena
. The dome of the church was frescoed with the Last Judgement (1589-93) by Giovanni Kyprios. The iconostasis
employed Kyprios, Tommaso Bathas, Benedetto Emporios, and Michael Damaskinos
. Emanuele Tzane-Buniales, a priest and hagiographer
from Crete
, frescoed the Saints Simeon and Alypios, ascetic hermits, atop the pilasters.
Near the church lies the Flanginian School
, a Greek teachers school, which today houses the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and post-Byzantine Studies in Venice.
Castello, Venice
Castello is the largest of the six sestieri of Venice, Italy. The district grew up from the thirteenth century around a naval dockyard on what was originally the Isole Gemini, although there had been small settlements of the islands of San Pietro di Castello , also called Isola d'Olivolo, since at...
, northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It was the center of the Scuola dei Greci
Scuola dei Greci
The Scuola dei Greci is the cultural and religious center of the Greek community in Venice.The Venetian Scuole were confraternities formed by ethnic or religious groups that lived in the city during the Renaissance. They provided an environment for the social, cultural and religious activities of...
, the Confraternity of the Greeks in Venice.
For centuries, despite the close ties of Venice to the Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
world, the Greek Orthodox rite was not permitted in Venice. In 1498, the Greek community gained the right to found the Scuola de San Nicolò dei Greci, a confraternity which aided members of that community. In 1539, after protracted negotiations, the papacy allowed the construction of the church of San Giorgio, financed by a tax on all ships from the Orthodox world.
Construction was started by Sante Lombardo
Sante Lombardo
Sante Lombardo was an Italian architect.-Biography:He was born in Venice, the son of Tullio Lombardo. It is mentioned for the first time in sources in 1534, when he was appointed protomastro of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice , for which he provided the internal and external decoration.In...
, and from 1548, by Giannantonio Chiona. The belltower was built in 1592. The interior has a monument to Gabriele Seviros (1619) by Baldassarre Longhena
Baldassarre Longhena
thumb|250px|Tower of the church [[Santa Maria del Soccorso]], [[Rovigo]].Baldassarre Longhena was an Italian architect, who worked mainly in Venice, where he was one of the greatest exponents of Baroque architecture of the period....
. The dome of the church was frescoed with the Last Judgement (1589-93) by Giovanni Kyprios. The iconostasis
Iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
employed Kyprios, Tommaso Bathas, Benedetto Emporios, and Michael Damaskinos
Michael Damaskinos
Michael Damaskenos or Michail Damaskenos was a leading post-Byzantine Cretan painter. He is a major representative of the Cretan School of painting that flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries, whilst Crete was under Venetian rule...
. Emanuele Tzane-Buniales, a priest and hagiographer
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
from Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, frescoed the Saints Simeon and Alypios, ascetic hermits, atop the pilasters.
Near the church lies the Flanginian School
Flanginian School
The Flanginian School was a Greek educational institution that operated in Venice, Italy, from 1664-1665 to 1905. The Flanginian produced several teachers that contributed to the modern Greek Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries.-Background:...
, a Greek teachers school, which today houses the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and post-Byzantine Studies in Venice.