Located in the middle of the famous Rialto Market, San Giacomo di Rialto is probably the oldest church in Venice!

It was probably built in 421 (in the time of the first arrivals) and was the only building of the Campo di Rialto to survive the fire of 1513 when all the surrounding residences for the merchants were destroyed.

The current church dates from the 11th century when the Rialto Market settled in the area although it has undergone several radical reconstructions since then, the last in 1601. Nonetheless, the original Greek-cross plan was always preserved, as were its minuscule dimensions. The interior has columns of ancient marble with 11th-century Corinthian capitals.

The church is quite small but the most interesting thing is the large 24 hour clock above the entrance that was created in the 15th century.

In 1177, Pope Alexander III granted plenary indulgence to all those who visited the church on Maundy Thursday; among the eager visitors every year was the doge. The special role of this church in Venetian history was given official recognition after 1532, when Pope Clement VII bestowed the patronage of the church on the doge, effectively annexing it to the Ducal Chapel of St Mark’s.

Single RAW image Tonemapped in Photomatix Pro 4.1.4

Camera: Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi in the USA)
Sigma 18-200mm lens
Exif data from the JPG
F-stop f/4
ISO 200
Focal length 21 mm

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Related shots can be found at: Venice or Italy.

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