The church of San Maurizio was built by the Candiani family, later Sanudo in the 7th century AD, dedicated to St Lazarus. The first mention of its existence appears in 1088. After a fire in 1105, it was rebuilt and dedicated to St Maurice. Around the middle of the 16th century, the merchant Dionisio Bellavite obtained permission to pull down its bell tower in exchange for an annual tax for the church. In the freed space he built his palace, with the façade frescoed by Paolo Veronese. In 1580, the church was rebuilt, still with the façade on the Rio del Santissimo. Around the middle of the 17th century, the Major Chapel of the Church of St Maurice and St Lazarus was restored: there were 600 parishioners but 19 religious celebrated mass. Between 1795 and 1806, the old church was demolished and rebuilt according to a design by Count Pietro Zaguri, Giannantonio Selva, the architect of the La Fenice theatre, and Antonio Diedo, on the model of the church of San Geminiano (Sansovino), demolished in St. Mark's Square at Napoleon's behest. The new church of San Maurizio has its façade on the campo of the same name. The high reliefs on the façade are by Luigi Zandomeneghi and Bartolomeo Ferrari. Inside the church and sacristy are paintings from the school of Veronese and Francesco Zugno. On the high altar, designed by Selva, the sculptures are by Domenico Fadiga.
In adherence to the left side of the church the building from the School of the Albanians appears. Knowledge about the school appeared at the end of 1489 and again in 1501 and in 1502, years during which the interior decoration of the ceilings and furnishings were being completed. In 1531, a new intervention completed the façade on the calle del Piovan, which can still be seen today, adorned with elegant and well-worked carvings of clear classic-Renaissance style.
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Visiting Hours: Every day from 10 a.m. to 1,00 p.m. and
from 2,30 p.m. to 7,30 p.m.
Services: Audioguide (euro 5 - red. euro 3), Museum Shop, Guided tours (on demand)
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MUSICAL INFORMATION
(Aldo Bova "Places of music in Venice")
In 1447 they moved the School of the Albanians: the third Sunday of each month there was a musical Mass in honor of Our Lady of Shkodra.
From 1555 to 1573 Andrea Gabrieli came to live in a small house in the parish.
On April 10, 1632 the sub-diaconate was conferred to Claudio Monteverdi.
In 1819 Gian Antonio Selva, the architect of the theater La Fenice, was buried there.