Santa Maria Formosa, Renaissance church in Castello district, Venice, Italy
Santa Maria Formosa is a brick church in the Castello district of Venice, facing both a canal and a square, each side showing a different facade. The interior follows a Latin cross plan with side chapels that contain several paintings and altarpieces dating from the 15th and 16th centuries.
A church has stood on this site since the 7th century, but the building seen today was rebuilt in the late 15th century by architect Mauro Codussi. The two Baroque facades were added in the 17th century, commissioned by wealthy Venetian families who funded the work and had their portraits carved into the stonework.
The church stands on a small campo that still works as a meeting point for people from the neighborhood. On market days, the square in front fills with locals going about their day, giving the area a lived-in feel that is rare in the more visited parts of Venice.
The church is a short walk from Saint Mark's Square, easily reached on foot through the narrow streets of Castello. Going in the morning gives better light inside the chapels, and it is worth walking around the outside to see both facades before entering.
One of the carved faces on the Baroque facade is said to be a portrait of a mercenary captain who lived near the square, added as a form of tribute by the family that funded the facade. The face has an almost grotesque expression that stands out from the rest of the stonework and is easy to spot once you know to look for it.
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