Scoleta dei calegheri, Gothic palace in Campo San Tomà, Venice, Italy
Scoleta dei Calegheri is a palace in Venice that served as a shoemakers' guild hall and displays typical Venetian Gothic style. The brick facade features a large portal with a characteristic pointed arch typical of the period.
The Scuola dei Calegheri was founded in 1383 under the patronage of Saint Anianus, the cobbler healed by Saint Mark. It first met at Santa Maria della Carità, where Anianus's body was venerated. In 1446 the guild bought a building near San Tomà and, after renovation, moved in fully in 1478. Shortly before the fall of the Republic, about 1,200 members worked in 350 workshops.
The lunette relief shows Saint Mark healing the cobbler Anianus, patron of the guild. Anianus wears contemporary oriental dress, reflecting Venetian familiarity with the Levant. The sources attribute the work to Antonio Rizzo (1478) or Pietro Lombardo; cleaning in 2002–2003 revealed traces of original paint and gilding.
The building now houses the San Tomà district library and is accessible from the campo. The interior is open to the public and preserves the original structure of the gothic palace.
The relief in the lunette over the portal, long attributed to Antonio Rizzo, was cleaned between 2002 and 2003, revealing traces of its original paint and gilding on the garments, trees and background. Saint Anianus is shown in contemporary oriental dress, so he looks like a Muslim.
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