Chiesa di Santa Maria Formosa
Chiesa di Santa Maria Formosa
Chiesa di Santa Maria Formosa
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The area
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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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1,561 within 3 miles
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961 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- TommoMelbourne, Australia57,215 contributionsBuilt in 1492Chiesa di Santa Maria Formosa Venice is formally The Church of the Purification of Mary. It was built in 1492. The name “formosa” relates to an alleged appearance of the Holy Virgin disguised as a voluptuous woman. The church has two façades. One is of Renaissance-style and one facing the canal, of Baroque style. The curch dome was rebuilt after falling during an earthquake in 1688.Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten March 4, 2024
- luciussilvaeVilvoorde, Belgium5,452 contributionsBeautiful church decorated with a campanile.Church dating from 1492 and built on the foundations of a church from the 7th century. This church has 2 facades, 1 facing south Leon itself and 1 facing the waterfront. The campanile dates from 1688 and is decorated with a very striking stone face at the foot of the tower.Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 5, 2024
- RonL40Utica, New York3,717 contributionsRenaissance church with campanile on large campo. Worth the visit.Santa Maria Formosa features a beautiful bell tower and a spacious campo, with several museums located nearby. Certainly worth the visit to see the mannerist Last Supper by Bassano and the beautiful triptychs by Bartolomeo Viviarini and Palma Il Vecchio. In the area, especially if you're interested in Renaissance painting, don't miss the Carpaccio canvases in the Scuola Dalmata and of course the wonderful collection at the Fondazione Querini Stampalia. Just northeast of San Marco, it's a great group of places to enjoy the art and get away from the bigger crowds in other parts of Venice.Visited September 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten November 28, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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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
4.0
173 reviews
Excellent
45
Very good
79
Average
45
Poor
3
Terrible
1
CarolinaNurse323
Kernersville, NC6,389 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
My husband & I were on vacation in Venice celebrating our #55 anniversary and we knew we wanted to see this church!
At home in North Carolina, USA we watch a live webcam of this Campo Santa Maria Formosa daily with the webcam mounted on top of the Ruzzini Palace Hotel located across from this church.
We see people coming & going on the Campo, people sitting outside in the chairs & canopies provided by the Bar All'Orologio, which is on the corner across from the church.
We notice the days when the chairs are taken in and canopies are all open.
We see lights on and lights off in the various homes and see people coming and going into the church.
So, when we decided to come to Venice for our anniversary, this Campo, this church and various other Ristorantes in the area were some we knew we wanted to see firsthand!
We ate our anniversary dinner on this square at the Ristorante Campo Santa Maria Formosa which was outstanding!
The Chiesa di Santa Maria Formosa did not disappoint!
We saw where the church was built in 1492 and the interior was stunning to see!
So glad we had the opportunity to view inside, so whenever we watch the webcam in the future it will have a special meaning and significance to us!
At home in North Carolina, USA we watch a live webcam of this Campo Santa Maria Formosa daily with the webcam mounted on top of the Ruzzini Palace Hotel located across from this church.
We see people coming & going on the Campo, people sitting outside in the chairs & canopies provided by the Bar All'Orologio, which is on the corner across from the church.
We notice the days when the chairs are taken in and canopies are all open.
We see lights on and lights off in the various homes and see people coming and going into the church.
So, when we decided to come to Venice for our anniversary, this Campo, this church and various other Ristorantes in the area were some we knew we wanted to see firsthand!
We ate our anniversary dinner on this square at the Ristorante Campo Santa Maria Formosa which was outstanding!
The Chiesa di Santa Maria Formosa did not disappoint!
We saw where the church was built in 1492 and the interior was stunning to see!
So glad we had the opportunity to view inside, so whenever we watch the webcam in the future it will have a special meaning and significance to us!
Written January 3, 2024
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.
PavlaPavla
Chrudim, Czech Republic7,712 contributions
Jul 2022
I discovered this Renaissance church by chance while walking around Venice, so I took a look inside. Right at the entrance was a painting "Approval of the Order of the Holy Trinity" by Baldassare d'Anna. There were a few other paintings in the interior, but nothing extraordinary. However, if you're in the area, it's worth visit it.
Written August 4, 2022
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, Russia173,115 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
The church was built in 1492 on the site of an old church designed by Mauro Codussi. The church houses several masterpieces of representatives of the Venetian school of painting. The Venetian architect Giovanni Scalfarotto was buried in the church in 1764.
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.
Gregory W
Mankato, MN3,826 contributions
Jun 2023 • Solo
Santa Maria Formosa, formally The Church of the Purification of Mary, was erected in 1492 under the design by Renaissance architect Mauro Codussi. It lies on the site of a previous church dating from the 7th century, which, according to tradition, was one of the eight founded by San Magno, a bishop. The name "formosa" relates to an alleged appearance of the Holy Virgin disguised as a voluptuous woman.
The plan is on the Latin cross, with a nave and two aisles. The two façades were commissioned in 1542, the Renaissance-style one facing the canal, and 1604, the Baroque one facing the nearby square. The dome of the church was rebuilt after falling in during an earthquake in 1688.
The plan is on the Latin cross, with a nave and two aisles. The two façades were commissioned in 1542, the Renaissance-style one facing the canal, and 1604, the Baroque one facing the nearby square. The dome of the church was rebuilt after falling in during an earthquake in 1688.
Written November 29, 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.
luvroma2
Reading, PA1,942 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Magnus in the form of a buxom woman and told him to build her a church. This was the first church built in Venice honoring the Virgin Mary. The current church was completed in the 16th century and was built according to the Greek cross plan. Admission to this church was included in the Venezia Unica city card.
Written October 14, 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.
Karren1948
Spennymoor91 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
Forget the museums go to the churches in Italy and see art where it was designed to be as well as enjoying a very spiritual place.Why do people still insist on taking photos despite being asked nicely not to do so ?
Written August 16, 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.
Naty S
Nice, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France9 contributions
Nov 2011 • Couples
this church attracted us by something special - every evening they make concerts inside: we went to listen to Vivaldi 4 seasons playing by orchestra collegium ducale. and we had fantastic moments, one hour of wonderful classic music just in the very center of this amazing church, sound was just breathe taking. there are also opera singers with piano accompaniment. they play just one step from u!! even if u are not fan of classical music or opera, u should have one evening out and u will be amazed and surprised, this is completely different from regular concerts in big theaters. highly advised to complete your cultural program in Venezia!!
Written November 26, 2011
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.
nocflite
Dallas, TX133 contributions
Jun 2016 • Couples
You may want to avoid this place. It's very plain inside and the locals are oddly mean spirited here. My wife and I visited on a Saturday afternoon to quietly sit in this church, say a prayer, and appreciate the environment. We were well dressed and were not carrying any touristy bags or cameras. But when we attempted to sit in the pews (where others were also seated) an attendant came over waving his finger and making "tisk" noises. We explained our intent and were surprised to find ourselves denied. We were instead directed to a side chapel, so we acquiesced and sat in a pew there. A few minutes later an old Italian lady came in and discovered us; she started waving at the attendant while pointing at us. There was no reason for her to be offended, we were completely silent. So we decided it was time to leave; outsiders are obviously not welcome here. Sadly, this illustrates an animosity toward Americans that we found exclusive to Venice.
Written June 19, 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.
Charon666
San Francisco, CA211 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
Venice has wonderful churches, such as Santa Maria dei Miracoli—but this is not one of them. The paintings are unappealing, many of them 19th Century. The interior and exterior lack distinction. Location is convenient.
Written June 26, 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.
Adam S
United Kingdom672 contributions
Apr 2017 • Friends
Santa Maria Formosa is a pretty enough church on a pleasant and quite lively square, not far from St Mark's. You have to pay 3 euros to go inside but I had a peek through the doors and decided against it.
Written June 22, 2017
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 27, 2019
Can you tell me if the blessing of the palms and processional will happen here on Sunday, March 29th, 2015? It used to be at Santa Maria Formosa on the canal side of the church but we were told the location has moved
Does anyone know the location and what time the procession begins? Can you suggest where we can info?
Written March 25, 2015
I walked by there twice today its near my hotel. Both times it was closed usually it's open after 10 in the morning. I was going to ask the attendant when they have mass. I will try again this afternoon but here is some contact information. your best bet may be to call email or stop by when you get to Venice.
Tel: 041 523 4645
e-mail: info @ santamariaformosa . it
they have a website but I don't think it's maintained
Written March 16, 2015
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