Chiesa di San Giorgio dei Greci
Chiesa di San Giorgio dei Greci
Chiesa di San Giorgio dei Greci
4.5
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM, 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Castello
Castello is the largest of the six sestieri (districts), and the only one not facing onto the Grand Canal. More than half of Castello is situated within Arsenale, the naval base, which occupies over one-fifth the area of Venice. This gentrified maritime neighborhood feels busy but casual. Castello’s side streets are laid back, with small boats lining canals criss-crossed by laundry. Semiannual exhibitions add a strong artsy current to the Arsenale area. Via Garibaldi in Castello, with its shops and bars, has one of Venice's rare straight and wide boulevards. When a large ship turns around the Lido to enter the Giudecca Canal, the startling sight creates an illusion that it will run aground right on Via Garibaldi! Families treasure Giardini near the island's tip, green with rare trees and grass, and Riva degli Schiavoni is a popular spot for Venetians to take a stroll to watch the sunset.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
122 reviews
Excellent
58
Very good
50
Average
14
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0
Terrible
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Vagelis R
Athens, Greece109 contributions
Dec 2023 • Couples
Saint George of the Greeks in Venice is the oldest Greek Orthodox church in the West. It is dedicated to Christ the Savior and the great martyr Saint George. The bell tower is built separately in the courtyard of the church facing the Rio dei Greci and is the work of Bernardo Ongarin. It was built between 1587 and 1603 and today shows a strong slope due to subsidence of its foundations which, according to the chronicles, were already under construction even before the bell tower was completed.
Written December 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
🩶⚜️ 𝓝𝓪𝓽𝔂® ⚜️🩶
Moscow, Russia162,472 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
This Orthodox church was built in 1577. The author of the project of the church and its first architect was Sante Lombardo, then the construction was continued by Gianantonio Chiona. The inclined bell tower was built by the architect Bernardo Ondgarin in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Written January 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lizzypooUsa
usa67 contributions
Sep 2013 • Business
Unfortunately we were not aware that this Church was in Venice!!! What a shame - we arrived by accident and were admitted for only a few minutes. The priest was extremely gracious and gave us a short tour. He pointed out a famous icon that was just returned from a new york museum where it was on exhibition. It was painted by El Greco's teacher!!! Next time we go to Venice this will be on the top of our list. This church was build before Constantinople fell!!!!!!! We definately want to attend a church service here -- this is a piece of living history that was lost when Constantinople fell and the Turks destroyed the St Sophia -- unfortunately turning it into a mosque.
Written July 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert O
Rotterdam, The Netherlands5,975 contributions
Sep 2021
Built by the Greek community during the 1500s this historic church is still the (only) place in Venice where Greek orthodox services are held. If you enter you immediately notice the difference with catholic churches, as there is a wall with icons typical for orthodox worship. Remarkable is the bell tower that slightly tilts over.
While there has been a continuous Greek presence in Venice since the early Middle Ages, in numbers especially significant after the Ottoman conquest during the mid 1400s, nowadays few Greek Venetians are left. Moreover many have assimilated and are only recognizable, because of their last name.
While there has been a continuous Greek presence in Venice since the early Middle Ages, in numbers especially significant after the Ottoman conquest during the mid 1400s, nowadays few Greek Venetians are left. Moreover many have assimilated and are only recognizable, because of their last name.
Written October 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad
Hong Kong, China177,698 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
San Giorgio dei Greci is situated on Rio de Greci canal in the Castello district. The church is was built in the mid 16th century to serve the Greek community of Venice and it retains close ties to the Byzantine world as is evident by the interior of the church.
The frescoed wall and screen at the front of the small church are particularly beautiful and worth spending a few minutes to have a look. You can also find several important icons at this church. Sadly, we arrived quite late and were only allowed a few minutes in the church without being able to see them. Next time perhaps.
The small courtyard around the church is pleasant as is the bell tower found there. Interestingly, the bell tower appears to be leaning towards the canal when viewed from a distance. However, from the courtyard you can see that it is standing upright.
Note: While not the easiest church to find, you can see spot its location quite well by looking for the bell tower, which as mentioned appears to be leaning towards the small canal and about to tip over when viewed from places like Riva Degli Schiavoni.
In the end, not a priority church to find in Venice unless you are a member of the Greek Orthodox faith perhaps. However, it is a neat church and we are glad to have finally visited during our last trip to Venice. For those who have made the previously made the rounds in Venice's top attractions, San Giorgio might be a place worth finding.
The frescoed wall and screen at the front of the small church are particularly beautiful and worth spending a few minutes to have a look. You can also find several important icons at this church. Sadly, we arrived quite late and were only allowed a few minutes in the church without being able to see them. Next time perhaps.
The small courtyard around the church is pleasant as is the bell tower found there. Interestingly, the bell tower appears to be leaning towards the canal when viewed from a distance. However, from the courtyard you can see that it is standing upright.
Note: While not the easiest church to find, you can see spot its location quite well by looking for the bell tower, which as mentioned appears to be leaning towards the small canal and about to tip over when viewed from places like Riva Degli Schiavoni.
In the end, not a priority church to find in Venice unless you are a member of the Greek Orthodox faith perhaps. However, it is a neat church and we are glad to have finally visited during our last trip to Venice. For those who have made the previously made the rounds in Venice's top attractions, San Giorgio might be a place worth finding.
Written June 8, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Luisella P
Brussels, Belgium167 contributions
Mar 2016 • Solo
This is a lovely Greek Orthodox Church not far from Saint Mark's square. The style of the outside is not particularly Greek Orthodox: it looks like a 16th century Catholic Church. Nice white stonework, an elegant leaning bell tower, a peaceful courtyard with a lovely well, the whole complex within white stone walls.
The inside though is very much Greek Orthodox: the religious objects and decorations, the iconostasis, the beautiful icons, the cupola decorated with a huge figure of Christ Some of the icons are works of art which came from Constantinopole after it was conquered by the Turks.
A peaceful and historic part of town.
The church bears witness to the cosmopolitan character of Venice, its tradition of acting as a bridge between West and East and the role it played in the Mediterranean.
Entrance is free of charge. The church is closed at lunch break.
The inside though is very much Greek Orthodox: the religious objects and decorations, the iconostasis, the beautiful icons, the cupola decorated with a huge figure of Christ Some of the icons are works of art which came from Constantinopole after it was conquered by the Turks.
A peaceful and historic part of town.
The church bears witness to the cosmopolitan character of Venice, its tradition of acting as a bridge between West and East and the role it played in the Mediterranean.
Entrance is free of charge. The church is closed at lunch break.
Written March 16, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Undercoverpixie
London, England15 contributions
Mar 2016
I love this church - it's tiny and nothing like as well-known as others in Venice, but it's my favourite of all, and I always drop in to admire it whenever I visit Venice. Easier said than done, as it is often closed even when it's supposed to be open, so you may need to be persistent to get to see inside! The wall behind the altar is a magical shimmering explosion of golden icons. It's quite something.
Written March 15, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniela D
Ispra, Italy32 contributions
Feb 2013 • Family
This church has a wondeful collection of Orthodox icons. You can recognise the church by the inclinated campanile.
Written March 15, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brun066
Florence, Italy13,644 contributions
Nov 2018 • Couples
Venice, a gate between the West and the East throughout history, is probably the Italian city in which the presence of Eastern Christian churches makes more sense. Indeed, the presence of a monastic congregation of the Armenian Church in San Lazzaro islet, since the 18th century until today, is striking. Likewise, this church is significant: it refers to the Orthodox confession, under the supervision of the patriarch of Constantinople.
Who has a minimum familiarity with the events of Christian churches in the Middle Ages and early modern era, knows that the relations between the Roman Catholic church (and therefore also the city of Venice) and the Orthodox Church have been not good, and often very bad. The four bronze horses on the façade of the Basilica of San Marco are revealing about the sacking of Constantinople in 1204 by the so-called "Crusaders", sacking about which it's well established that it did more damage than the conquest of the city by Ottomans in 1453; the cruelty of looting can be explained precisely by the ferocious hate between the two Churches. This San Giorgio dei Greci church itself was built very late, in the mid-sixteenth century, after centuries of prohibitions, having finally obtained the authorization of both the Pope of Rome and the Republic of Venice.
However, we now enjoy the existence of this church, which allows in Venice a precious opportunity for immersion in oriental atmospheres.
We visited the church on Sunday, while the mass was going on, so we were able to attend the solemn and very formal liturgy we had already witnessed on our trips to Greece and to Russia: the priest's passing back and forth through the sumptuous iconostasis, the Communion made by bread and wine, the public seated not across the nave, but in the stalls on both sides of it, the solemn chants in Greek. A show therefore not usual for Venice and Italy.
We also noted the contrast between the interior of the church, rather "exotic", and the exterior architectural appearance, Western and in fact not distinguishable from that of the other Venetian churches.
A visit to the Museum of Icons, adjacent to the church, has finally strengthened in us a pleasant impression of exoticism.
Who has a minimum familiarity with the events of Christian churches in the Middle Ages and early modern era, knows that the relations between the Roman Catholic church (and therefore also the city of Venice) and the Orthodox Church have been not good, and often very bad. The four bronze horses on the façade of the Basilica of San Marco are revealing about the sacking of Constantinople in 1204 by the so-called "Crusaders", sacking about which it's well established that it did more damage than the conquest of the city by Ottomans in 1453; the cruelty of looting can be explained precisely by the ferocious hate between the two Churches. This San Giorgio dei Greci church itself was built very late, in the mid-sixteenth century, after centuries of prohibitions, having finally obtained the authorization of both the Pope of Rome and the Republic of Venice.
However, we now enjoy the existence of this church, which allows in Venice a precious opportunity for immersion in oriental atmospheres.
We visited the church on Sunday, while the mass was going on, so we were able to attend the solemn and very formal liturgy we had already witnessed on our trips to Greece and to Russia: the priest's passing back and forth through the sumptuous iconostasis, the Communion made by bread and wine, the public seated not across the nave, but in the stalls on both sides of it, the solemn chants in Greek. A show therefore not usual for Venice and Italy.
We also noted the contrast between the interior of the church, rather "exotic", and the exterior architectural appearance, Western and in fact not distinguishable from that of the other Venetian churches.
A visit to the Museum of Icons, adjacent to the church, has finally strengthened in us a pleasant impression of exoticism.
Written November 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David B
Huntsville, AL127 contributions
Sep 2016 • Couples
We stumbled onto this gem while walking in the neighborhood of our B&B. We approached the church and marveled at the beautiful voices coming from within. There was a service in progress so we sat for a few minutes and enjoyed the peace and the solemnity of this gorgeous Greek Orthodox church. As others have said, this church is a testament to the meeting of East and West that personifies the history of Venice. The entrance is very close to a canal and not particularly easy to find, but well worth searching out. There is a beautiful icon museum and a lovely courtyard in addition to a bell tower that leans quite dramatically. Just a note: there is a "no photo" policy here, but it is certainly enough to just sit and enjoy the splendor.
Written October 3, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
È permesso fare foto? Ingresso gratuito o pagato?
¿Está permitido tomar fotos? Entrada gratuita o de pago?
Written October 26, 2019
Hi i am planning to spent the Greek Easter period in Venice. I plan to be there on 14/04/2017 to 16/04/2017. Will the church have the Epitaph and Easter services and at which time?
Written March 10, 2017
Hello. It will have both epitaph and easter (resurrection) services. I don't know what time the epitaph would be on good Friday, but I guess it will be in the evening. On Saturday, you should go around 11pm to the church because it gets very busy and packed, so you will be able to at least get a seat inside.
Written March 16, 2017
Hi David. Could you kindly give me some details about the entrance to this church. My Google map route disappears in front of the Museo di pinti Byzanti. Is this the entrance to the church?
Written October 13, 2016
Hello and sorry for the delay in answering. The only way I can help is by letting you know where we stayed in Venice. It was quite close to the church. If you google or search for Residenza de L'Osmarin and look at a map you will see that just as you arrive at the B&B there is a canal and a small bridge you cross. If you don't cross that small bridge, but rather follow the canal to the right you will come to another canal and you should see the church just at the canal's edge. It has a small garden next to it and also an Icon Museum.
I realize this is a convoluted way to explain this, but, well...that is Venice. I really do hope this helps.
Written October 13, 2016
ciao a tutti, dovrò presenziare ad un matrimonio..qualcuno sa se la chiesa è raggiungibile con qualche vaporetto o solo a piedi?
grazie mille!!
Written December 28, 2015
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