San Lio, Venice Explained

San Lio is a church located on the campo of the same name in the sestiere of Castello.

History

Built in the 9th century by the patrician family of the Badoer it was first named St Catherine of Alexandria.^[1] In 1054, it was rededicated to St Leone (San Lio in venetian dialect) in honor of pope Leo IX, who had favored the cause of Venice in a 1043 dispute between the Doge Contarini of Venice, the Patriarch of Aquileia over who had supremacy over the region of Grado.

The painter Canaletto was baptized and buried at this church.^[2]

Architecture and Interior Decoration

The presbytery was rebuilt in the 15th century, and the church underwent a major reconstruction and design in 1783. The latest reconstruction led to a single nave; the bell-tower was taken down. The interior retains some paintings and sculpture including:

• St James the Major (c. 1540) by Titian^[3]
• Angels and virtues by Giandomenico Tiepolo
• St Leo in Glory by Giandomenico Tiepolo^[4]
  • Dead Christ upheld by Saints and Angels (main altarpiece) by Jacopo Palma il Giovane Above the entrance to the chapel to the left is the funeral monument to Andrea Pisani, who died in 1718.

Chapel Gusoni

• Four Evangelists, sculpture by Pietro Lombardo,^[5] and a Pietà with Saints, by his son Tullio Lombardo in the chapel of the Gussoni family.
• Gussoni Red Veil Paintings Triptych (2015), by artist Sylke von Gaza^[6] commissioned by Curia Patriarcale di Venezia^[7]

Bibliography

• Le chiese di Venezia, Marcello Brusegan; Ed. Newton
• Italian Wikipedia Entry

References

1. https://www.travelsignposts.com/Venice/sightseeing/chiesa-di-san-lio-castello Travel Signposts website, Chiesa di San Lio, Castello
2. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/venice/sestiere-di-castello/attractions/chiesa-di-san-lio/a/poi-sig/400285/1320999 Lonely Planet website, Chiesa di San Lio
3. https://gallerix.org/album/Titian/pic/glrx-7645 Gallery IX website, Titian - St James the Major
4. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O80688/st-leo-in-glory-sketch-oil-painting-tiepolo-domenico/ Victoria and Albert Museum website, St Leo in Glory (sketch for the ceiling of the church of San Lio, Venice)
5. https://www.savevenice.org/project/gussoni-chapel Save Venice website, Gussoni Chapel
6. https://www.vongaza.com/project-beyond-the-veil-venezia-2015 Sylke von Gaza website, Project "Beyond the Veil", Chiesa San Lio, Venezia 2015
7. Web site: Art-Project Beyond the Veil: Gussoni Red Veil Paintings Triptych (2015). Patriarcato di Venezia. Ufficio Beni Culturali e Turismo. www.veneziaupt.org. IT. 2017-07-26.