Santa Maria del Pianto, Venice, Former Catholic church in Castello district, Venice, Italy
Santa Maria del Pianto is a former church with an octagonal design built in Italian Baroque style located in Venice's Castello district. The building displays elaborate decorative details on both its exterior and interior surfaces, reflecting the skilled craftsmanship of the period.
Construction began in 1647 following a Senate decision in 1646, and the church was consecrated in 1687 when building work finished. The religious community was dissolved in 1810, and the structure was later restored but has remained closed for worship since then.
The chapel was closely linked to a convent where nuns lived and followed their religious calling. You can sense how this space once functioned as a center for prayer and spiritual community.
The building is located in northern Castello near the Fondamente Nove waterfront area. Be aware that this is a former religious site that is no longer open to visitors and can only be viewed from outside.
The octagonal floor plan was an unusual choice for a church in Venice and shows the influence of modern architectural ideas of the Baroque period. This geometric form made the building visually distinctive among traditional Venetian churches of that era.
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