San Giorgio Maggiore Island
... from Giudecca Island by “delle Grazie” channel.
Property of Memmo family (from this the original name “Memmia island”), during VIII-IX sec a little church was built in honour of Saint George then subsequently a monastery, work of Giovanni Morosini. In 982, thanks to the Doge Memmo, the monk became owner of the island.
The cultural importance of the monastery brought the original building to be transformed in the huge church we can see nowadays, thanks to the works of Palladio (for the plan) and Tinotoretto, Jacopo Palma il Giovane and Carpaccio for the wall paintings. But its magnificence was wasted durino the Napoleonic era, durinbg which the emperor used the building as a garrison, until the fall of the Italian Reign.
On 1951 Fondazione Giorgio Cini obtained the permit to use the buildings of the island, starting a massive renovation and planning new works, like the Green theatre, built recycling the renovations scrap and inaugurated in 1954.
After the recovering of the island it has been used as a place for social and cultural initiative, which are the main purpose of Fondazione Cini.
If you want to experience a big emotion, don’t stay on the ground floor but go up to the bell tower, you will have an amazing view of Saint Mark’s and the city.
Information:
San Giorgio Maggiore Island
Giudecca
30133 – Venice
+390415227827
ACTV stop: S. Giorgio
