Giudecca, Venice, Veneto, Italy

Giudecca is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, in northern Italy. It is part of the sestiere of Dorsoduro and is a locality of the comune of Venice. Giudecca lies immediately south of the central islands of Venice, from which it is separated by the Giudecca Canal. San Giorgio Maggiore lies off its eastern tip.

Giudecca is a set of eight islands connected to the south of the historic center of Venice. It faces onto the Giudecca canal, in front of the district of Dorsoduro, of which the island is part of the administrative point of view. Located to the south of the rest of the city, it constitutes a rather quiet residential area without excessive tourist presence. In the Giudecca itself been added in recent times Sacca Fisola, an island at the western end obtained by reclaiming part of the lagoon.

History
Giudecca was formerly known as Spinalonga (meaning “Long Thorn”), perhaps due to its elongated herringbone shape.The Giudecca has always been an integral part of Venice and its history is intimately linked to that of the latter. Reclaimed in a relatively late period, it was an area full of orchards and gardens.

Made up of eight smaller interconnected islands, the Giudecca has a long fondamenta or pedestrian quay running the length of its Venice-facing side. Its lagoon-facing side instead has many gardens and allotments, and new residential neighborhoods.

The quite large areas and the general peacefulness of the island also made it popular among religious communities (with seven monasteries being established) and, as had happened on Murano island, with patrician families who built palaces with lovely gardens and allotments there. After the fall of the Serenissima Republic, these areas were converted into warehouses, barracks, prisons, factories and workers’ quarters.

Giudecca was historically an area of large palaces with gardens, the island became an industrial area in the early 20th century with shipyards and factories, in addition to a film studio. Much of the industry went into decline after World War II, but it is now once more regarded as a quiet residential area of largely working-class housing with some chic apartments and exclusive houses. It is known for its long dock and its churches, including the Palladio-designed Il Redentore. The island was the home of a huge flour mill, the Molino Stucky, which has been converted into a luxury hotel and apartment complex. At the other end of Giudecca is the famous five-star Cipriani hotel with large private gardens and salt-water pool.

Modern renovations of some antique architecture in Giudecca have bolstered the island’s reputation as a vacation locale. In 2011, Venetian developers reopened the lodgings of a prominent 16th-century mansion as long-term rentals under the name “Villa F.”

Main Attractions
The island Giudecca is only about 300 meters away from the main island Venice. Comparatively few tourists. Giudecca is a escape of the hustle and bustle of Venice main islands. Giudecca is very easy to reach. From the jetty in San Marco not far from the Piazza San Marco it is only 3-4 minutes by public transport water bus. On the Redentore’s Day in July, a pontoon will be erected to connect the Giudecca island to St. Mark’s Square.

Religious architectures

Basilica of the Redeemer
The Basilica del Redentore, also known as the votive church of the Santissimo Redentore or more simply as the Redentore, is an important religious building in Venice. It is traditionally the fulcrum of the great feast of the Redeemer, celebrated on the third Sunday of July in memory of the narrow escape from the plague that struck the city in 1575. The church of Saints Peter and Paul in Villafranca di Verona is an almost identical copy of the church of the Redentore. The church is part of the Chorus Venezia association.

It was built between 1577 and 1592 on a project by Andrea Palladio. This religious monument was a sign of thanks for the end of the terrible plague that in 1576 caused the death of a third of the city population, including Doge Sebastiano Venier himself. The Feast of the Redeemer is celebrated annually there. The interior is valuable and full of paintings by the greatest Venetian painters. In the sacristy there are paintings by Paolo Veronese. The best overall view can be had from the Fondamenta delle Zattere, the long quay south of the Dorsoduro district.

Church of the Zitelle
The church of Santa Maria della Presentation, commonly known as the Zitelle, is a religious building in the city of Venice located at the eastern end of the Giudecca island. Palladian church which, in addition to normal religious functions, also houses a modern congress center.

The church is consecrated to the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is part of a complex including a former hospice for young girls without a dowry. The building adjacent to the church was once used as a convent for poor girls who could learn traditional women’s work here, such as the art of the famous Venetian lace.

Church of Sant’Eufemia.
The church of Sant’Eufemia, is a religious building in the city of Venice on the Giudecca island. The church of Sant’Eufemia was built in the 9th century in the Venetian-Byzantine style. It underwent numerous restorations, the most recent an eighteenth-century intervention that significantly modified the facade and the interior where stuccos were applied both in the central nave and in the vaults of the ceiling.

The church is one of the oldest in Venice, and despite the simplicity of the exterior, it contains works of art of great importance. In the chapel of Sant’Anna the body of the blessed Giuliana di Collalto is venerated, who in the thirteenth century was abbess of the nearby monastery of Santi Biagio and Cataldo.

Church of Saints Biagio and Cataldo
The church of Santi Biagio e Cataldo was a religious building in the city of Venice, located in the westernmost part of the Giudecca island. The church underwent two renovations. The first intervention took place at the end of the 16th century by Michele Sanmicheli; during these works the church was radically restructured, the hanging choir was demolished and its columns were relocated in the portico of the nearby church of Sant’Eufemia. The second important intervention was carried out at the beginning of the 18th century by the architects Domenico Rossi and Giorgio Massari and the works mainly concerned the interiors, altars and paintings.

The church with the adjoining monastery remained active until 1810, when they were definitively suppressed following the Napoleonic decrees. Purchased by private individuals, the church and convent were first used as a hospital complex, then demolished in the second half of the nineteenth century and the Molino Stucky industrial complex was built on the area.

Civil architectures

Molino Stucky
Located on the western end of the island, it has neo-Gothic forms. The building is striking for its anomalous proportions compared to those of the traditional Venetian architecture present on both sides of the Giudecca Canal. Built in 1895 by Count Giovanni Stucky then slowly overtaken by the times and too expensive to maintain, it fell into disuse in 1955.

Taken over by the Acqua Pia Antica Marcia group, since 2007 it has been used as a convention center and hotel of the Hilton chain. On the basis of which the area was used as a real estate complex equipped with a residence, a conference center and a hotel with 379 rooms, a panoramic restaurant and swimming pool, a conference room with two thousand seats.

Hotel Cipriani
Hotel Cipriani, located on the opposite tip of the island, one of the most luxurious Venetian residences. The hotel was opened in 1958 by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice and inventor of the Bellini cocktail. The rooms were decorated with Venetian furniture, including Murano glass chandeliers, Fortuny fabrics, and Venetian artwork.

In 2014, Hotel Cipriani change the name in Belmond Hotel Cipriani following the rebranding of Orient-Express Hotels chain as Belmond Ltd. The hotel expanded further into the adjacent Palazzo Vendramin, a 15th century palace overlooking the lagoon and Piazza San Marco. A restaurant called Cip’s Club was built on a pier in the lagoon and in 1990 the ancient granaries of the Republic (adjacent to the Hotel) were opened as a space for events.

Casa dei Tre Oci
The Casa dei Tre Oci or Casa di Maria is a palace in Venice, located in the Dorsoduro district, on the Giudecca island. It overlooks the Giudecca Canal, at the height of the Fondamenta delle Zitelle. It was conceived between 1912 and 1913 by the Emilian painter Mario de Maria, who made it his new Venetian home.

An example of early-twentieth-century neo – Gothic architecture, Casa dei Tre Oci is the result of different architectural trends, from those of the traditional Venetian warehouse-house to the avant-garde ones of the twentieth century. The building has three floors, but the importance of the noble floor is underlined, with the three enormous òci ( Venetian for “eyes”), large ogival windows overlooking the Giudecca Canal and the San Marco Basin. Centrally, on the second floor, the presence of a mullioned window framed by neo-Gothic decorations should be noted.

Villa Hériot
Villa Hériot also known as Villa Herriot is a building in Venice, on the Giudecca island.In the early twentieth century, French Hériot, who, after buying the land of a former Saponeria alla Giudecca, has two villa structures built on a project by Raffaele Mainella with eclectic architecture and copious decorative elements such as paterae, tiles, columns and other Byzantine motifs.

In 1947, Hériot’s wife, after her husband’s death, sold the Villa Hériot complex to the municipality, leaving attached to the deed of sale the will that it be used as a public school: the building therefore became the Carlo Goldoni elementary school. The school was later closed and Villa Hériot is the seat of the “European Society of Culture”, the “International University of Art, seat of Venice”, and the Venetian House of Memory of the 20th century.

Eden Garden Hundertwasser
The Giardino Eden Hundertwasser, also known as the Eden Garden is a villa with a famous garden, south of the Giudecca island in Venice. It is named after an Englishman, Frederic Eden, who designed the garden in 1884 and owned the property for a long time. The property was later expanded by two acres when the Venetian authorities enlarged the island. The couple created one of the largest private gardens in Venice, an English landscaped garden, containing statues, roses and animals. It was frequented by many figures from the world of the arts, including Marcel Proust, Rainer Maria Rilke, Walter Sickert, Henry James, Eleonora Duse etc.

The garden featured a large number of rose-covered willow pergolas and vast plantations of Madonna lily and other English flowers. Paths around the garden were covered with local shells. There were lawns, courtyards, and a cypress-lined promenade. In 1903 Eden published A Garden in Venice, a short book describing his creation of the garden. Damaged during the Second World War, the villa was rebuilt by Aspasia when peace returned. In 1945 the Eden Garden was designated a National Monument.

Sightseeing route
The itinerary starts on the island of Sacca Fisola, at the far western end of the Giudecca, from which it is separated by the Canale dei Lavraneri. Sacca Fisola is a recent residential neighborhood, this being what largely sets it apart from Giudecca’s adjacent main island. To reach the first stop of the itinerary, cross the large wooden bridge of the Lavraneri. On your left is the imposing Molino Stucky, an old mill which stands as a striking symbol of Venice’s industrial revolution and which is now a luxury hotel.

Walking along, pass through the Campiello Priuli to reach the Fondamenta delle Convertite. By turning left, you will come to the first section of the fondamenta that extends along the Giudecca Canal. Opposite, on Venice’s main island, you can see the Stazione Marittima (harbour station) and fondamenta of Le Zattere.

On the corner is the parish Church of Sant’Eufemia. A tablet embedded in the door reminds us of its consecration in 1371. The church has conserved its original simple-cabin structure (11th century) typical of the Veneto-Byzantine style, while the external Doric portico was built during the restructuring works of the 18th and 19th centuries. The portico columns, which date back to the 16th century, belonged to the Church of St. Biagio e Cataldo, which was demolished to make room for the Molino Stucky. Above the entrance door is a beautiful relief of “Virgin with Child between Saint Rocco and Saint Eufemia”. On the inside, the three Veneto- Byzantine (11th century) aisles are decorated with sumptuous stuccoes and paintings (18th century) while the aisles and walls display works by B. Vivarini and G.B. Canal.

Continuing along the fondamenta, you come to the Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore (Church of the Most Holy Redeemer) (included in the Chorus circuit, discount with Rolling Venice Card) commissioned by the Republic’s Senate as a votive temple to Christ the Redeemer as thanksgiving for deliverance from the plague that decimated the population in 1575-6. The first stone was laid in May 1577 and the building was consecrated in 1592 (although not fully completed). The Santo Redentore (Holy Redeemer) has been celebrated annually ever since, on the third Saturday of July.

During the period of the Venice Republic, the doge and senators would attend Mass in the church, which was the destination point of the procession. The main island and the Giudecca continue to be joined annually by a pontoon bridge to celebrate this major Venetian festival. On the evening before, dining tables are set up along the Giudecca’s fondamenta to make merriment over traditional dishes, and to admire the spectacular fireworks display over the Bacino di San Marco.

Designed by Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), and considered as one of the pinnacles of his career, the church was actually completed after Palladio’s death, by Antonio da Ponte in 1592. Inside, a colonnade extends around the walls of the single nave with three chapels opening on each side, and of the presbytery, which is surmounted by a dome. Paintings of the Veneto school of the 16th and 17th centuries decorate the altars. Of particular interest is the sacristy, from where access is given to the choir containing relics of the Franciscan order and several important paintings including a Madonna with Child and Angels by Alvise Vivarini; Madonna and Saints attributed to Francesco Bissolo; and a Baptism of Christ by Paolo Veronese.

After the Redentore Church, we continue along the Fondamenta della Croce, named after the 16th century Chiesa della Croce, an area now occupied by a prison.

A short way along is the Church and Convent of the Zitelle. Built on a design by Palladio, the church is part of an ecclesiastic unit that the Jesuit Benedetto Palmio set up to help orphan girls. After his arrival in 1958, he had begun to provide for shelter to many such orphans in a house within the parish of Santa Marziale. To further his project, a more spacious building with adjoining oratory, was built. The works on the church began in 1581 after Palladio’s death and were completed in 1586 by Jacopo Bozzetto. Its consecration took place two years later as Presentazione di M. V. al Tempio. The Church of Santa Maria della Presentazione, also called of the Zitelle (the unmarried) is today one of the “Monuments of Venetian Assistance” found in the city, owned by “IRE” (Institutions for Shelter and Education).

The San Giorgio stop is opposite the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, one of Andrea Palladio’s most significant works, which he began in 1566 but which was completed only in 1611, several years after the maestro’s death. The façade has two wings corresponding to the inner aisles that afford glimpses of the two large brick apses. The dome dominates the intersection of the solemn three-aisled interior, with broad transept. In the chapel on the right of the presbytery is a Madonna enthroned and Saints by Sebastiano Ricci (1708); in the presbytery on the main altar is a bronze sculpture by Girolamo Campagna (1593); on the walls are two works by Tintoretto: a Last Supper and Fall of Manna (1594).

The sacristy allows access to the Chapel of the Deceased, which has become the ossuary of the Benedictine monks, whose relics were gathered there during demolition works. The chapel is thought to have once been the entrance to the ancient church. The alterpiece by Jacopo Tintoretto was one of the master’s last works. The wavelike compositional rhythm, seen with the flat vertical perspective of the primitive era, emanates a pathetic mood, almost to convey the Spirit abandoning itself to pain.

Only the deterioration of the colours can justify critics’ doubts over the authenticity of this masterpiece. Above the chapel is the evening choir of the monks, which is accessed by a spiral staircase at the beginning of the corridor. The choir was made famous for its being used by the Conclave that elected Pope Pius VII in 1800. The names of the cardinals are written on their choir-stalls and some memorabilia of the Conclave are in a showcase. The altarpiece is a “St. George Killing the Dragon” by Vettore Capaccio. The Conclave room can be visited on request.

Another monument belonging to the Benedictine part of the island is the Abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore, which was demolished and rebuilt some five times before taking on its grand appearance of today. For about one thousand years it was an important spiritual and cultural center and is still today one of the world’s most important monumental complexes.

The square brick bell tower with cuspid topped by a swiveling Angel was erected in 1791 on a design by the Bolognese Monk Benedetto Buratti, to replace the old tower erected in 400 that collapsed in 1774. Of the part of the island managed by the Giorgio Cini Foundation – guest of the monastery since 1951 – visits can only be made to the two Cloisters of the Cipressi (cypresses) and the Allori (laurels), while the renovated Foresteria (exclusive guest quarters) is now used by the several institutes specialized in studying the Venetian civilizations. The Palladian refectory is today used as a lecture hall.

The oldest part of all the monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore is made up of the dormitory and the cloister of the Buora, with its chapter house. We know that Cosimo de’ Medici found refuge on San Giorgio in 1443. He had been exiled to Venice with a court of friends and clients, among whom the renowned architect Michelozzo Michelozzi, who built the Benedictine library that was later pulled down in 1616 to make room for Palladio’s cloister of the Cipressi.

In the vestibule, also attributed to Palladio, is a low flight of steps, which served as a secondment to the dining hall, which once housed Veronese’s gigantic canvas The Wedding at Cana now at the Louvre. In 1630, Baldassarre Longhena, architect of the Church of the Salute, remade the wing of the library and in 1642 added the monumental staircase to the apartments area of the Abbot’s apartments. Over the years, the halls of the Abbot of San Giorgio Maggiore have welcomed Henry III King of France, Queen Mary Casimira of Poland, Joseph II, Francis I, Frederick I, Emperors of Austria and many others besides. It was from the window of the grand hall, dedicated today to Pope John XXII, that the newly proclaimed Pope Pius VII performed his “Urbi et Orbi” blessing in 1800.