Church of Santa Maria Glorioza dei Frari

The Church of Santa Maria Glorioza dei Frari is one of the two main cathedrals of Venice. The church, whose construction was completed in the first half of the XV century, is second in size only to the Cathedral of St. Mark. Santa Maria Glorioza dei Frari became the cathedral of the Franciscan Order, outstanding artists and sculptors worked on its creation and design, including Nicollo Pisano, Titian and Bellinni.

The first building on this site in the San Polo area appeared after the Venetian Doge Tiepolo gave the Franciscan order a small allotment of land. The brotherhood rapidly increased the number of adherents, and the need for a large temple was felt. Then the construction of the church of Santa Maria Glorioza dei Frari was started, which translated into Russian means “The Cathedral of the Most Holy Our Lady of the Franciscan Brotherhood”.

The huge Gothic cathedral of red brick was completed in 1446. At the same time, a majestic bell tower with a height of 70 meters was erected. Giant dimensions of the temple allowed to divide the interior space into several parts - so, here at different times appeared the chapel of the Crucifixion, the chapel of St. Peter, the chapel of the Archangel Michael.

In the cathedral you can see authentic masterpieces of Italian art. Over the tombstones of the Venetian Doges worked the best sculptors of their time. The main altar of the cathedral is decorated with a huge painting by Titian “Madonna Pesaro”, in the apse there is a triptych of the great Venetian – Giovanni Bellinni, who wrote “Madonna and Child” especially for Santa Maria Glorioza dei Frari. Later, the tombstone of the outstanding sculptor Antonio Canova appeared in the temple, under which his heart is buried.