Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Minor basilica in San Polo, Venice, Italy.
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is a Franciscan parish church and minor basilica in Venice's San Polo district, built of red brick and Istrian stone in the Venetian Gothic style. Its Latin-cross interior measures 102 metres long and 28 metres high, with three naves on twelve pillars and pointed arches. The facade, finished in 1440, carries three statues by Lorenzo Bregno (1516); the square brick bell tower, completed in 1396, is the second tallest in the city.
Construction began in 1250 under Franciscan initiative, stretching over a century before the bell tower was completed in 1396. This extended building period allowed the structure to develop into a landmark of Venetian Gothic design.
The name "Frari" is Venetian for "frati", the Franciscan friars who settled here in 1231. The Pesaro family obtained the sacristy in 1478 as a private chapel and burial place, and Titian's Assumption was painted for the main altar. The church keeps the medieval layout of a walled choir before the high altar, and Titian, Monteverdi and Canova lie buried inside.
The church opens to visitors most days of the week, though hours vary considerably between weekdays and weekends. It's wise to arrive early or check opening times in advance, especially if you plan your visit during a specific period.
The high wall closing the central nave before the main altar is the only large choir enclosure still standing in an Italian church, a survival of medieval layout. Titian's Assumption of the Virgin hangs on the high altar inside it, and the painter himself is buried in the church.
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