Religious Architecture and Art in Venice in the Age of the Serenissima Republic: course description
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Paola Modesti, Venice International University
“… deservedly it may be called the bosom of all Christendom.”
(Marin Sanudo, Praise of the city of Venice, 1493)
Conceived in honour of God and to adorn the city, religious buildings and their decoration have always entailed the uppermost concern of patrons and artists, which often generated masterpieces of architecture and art. This course explores relevant topics and themes of religious architecture and art in Venice from the city’s beginnings in the early 9th century to the end of the Republic in the late 18th century.
The unique opportunity to gain first hand knowledge of the qualities of works of architecture and art in their environmental context will provide us with the best premise to assess the different forces at play in their conception, their multiple meanings, and the individual contribution of architects and artists.
In consideration of the everlasting and highest civic relevance of Venetian religion, attention will also be paid to the different ceremonies and activities tied to churches, and to the ways in which buildings and rituals were described in city praises, guide-books, and visitors’ accounts. In addition, we will examine the interaction of religion and politics in the decoration of the Ducal Palace, and take into account the Venetian “Scuole” and the places of worship of the foreign communities.
Besides providing students with a critical foundation in Venetian religious architecture and art, this course aims to enable them to practice in interpreting a variety of visual and textual material, to cross disciplinary boundaries in the humanities, and to explore the complexity of Venice and its historic heritage.
Course structure, teaching methods, and requirements
The course is intended as a study workshop and includes frontal informative lectures, classroom discussions and on-site seminars based on student presentations. There are no prerequisites, but a serious commitment to actively participate in all the activities, including weekly assignments.
Weekly assignments will consist in the study of textual/visual materials provided in advance and/or in sightseeing, to be followed by the production of a brief written statement of what is regarded as their respective central issue(s). Students’ statements will constitute the basis for the classroom discussions.
Besides e-mailing his/her weekly statement, each student shall give at least one on-site presentation according to a seminar schedule which will be defined at the beginning of the course. A tentative list of the on-site seminars comprises visits to San Marco and its mosaic laboratory, the Mendicant churches of the Frari and Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Santa Maria dei Miracoli, San Salvador, the Redentore and Santa Maria della Salute.
(Marin Sanudo, Praise of the city of Venice, 1493)
Conceived in honour of God and to adorn the city, religious buildings and their decoration have always entailed the uppermost concern of patrons and artists, which often generated masterpieces of architecture and art. This course explores relevant topics and themes of religious architecture and art in Venice from the city’s beginnings in the early 9th century to the end of the Republic in the late 18th century.
The unique opportunity to gain first hand knowledge of the qualities of works of architecture and art in their environmental context will provide us with the best premise to assess the different forces at play in their conception, their multiple meanings, and the individual contribution of architects and artists.
In consideration of the everlasting and highest civic relevance of Venetian religion, attention will also be paid to the different ceremonies and activities tied to churches, and to the ways in which buildings and rituals were described in city praises, guide-books, and visitors’ accounts. In addition, we will examine the interaction of religion and politics in the decoration of the Ducal Palace, and take into account the Venetian “Scuole” and the places of worship of the foreign communities.
Besides providing students with a critical foundation in Venetian religious architecture and art, this course aims to enable them to practice in interpreting a variety of visual and textual material, to cross disciplinary boundaries in the humanities, and to explore the complexity of Venice and its historic heritage. Course structure, teaching methods, and requirements
The course is intended as a study workshop and includes frontal informative lectures, classroom discussions and on-site seminars based on student presentations. There are no prerequisites, but a serious commitment to actively participate in all the activities, including weekly assignments. Weekly assignments will consist in the study of textual/visual materials provided in advance and/or in sightseeing, to be followed by the production of a brief written statement of what is regarded as their respective central issue(s). Students’ statements will constitute the basis for the classroom discussions. Besides e-mailing his/her weekly statement, each student shall give at least one on-site presentation according to a seminar schedule which will be defined at the beginning of the course. A tentative list of the on-site seminars comprises visits to San Marco and its mosaic laboratory, the Mendicant churches of the Frari and Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Santa Maria dei Miracoli, San Salvador, the Redentore and Santa Maria della Salute.
