Venice tour guides in support of the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista

On Saturday, December 7, 2019, Venice tour guides are offering free guided tours to save the Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista following the high tide

The high tide that struck Venice last November 12, 2019 caused extensive damage, and the community has mobilized in a display of solidarity to provide material and moral support to those who lost property and required concrete assistance.

Among the various forms of damage, that caused to the heritage is among the most serious, not least because it belongs both to the Venetian community and to all of humanity, as Venice is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Venice tour guides have chosen to organize an afternoon of guided tours to support the urgent restoration work at the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista necessitated by the high water on Tuesday, November 12.

Founded in 1261, the Scuola di San Giovanni was a confraternity of Battuti that centered its devotion around its patron saint, Saint John the Evangelist.

It is a monumental complex featuring illustrious examples of art and architecture ranging from Gothic and Renaissance to Venetian Baroque. Codussi, Lombardo, Massari, Morlaiter, Palma il Giovane, Tintoretto, Bellini, and Pietro Longhi are some of the most important artists and architects who worked on the project.

The Scuola has been the seat of the eponymous lay confraternity for over seven centuries, as well as a museum open to the public that hosts events, conventions, conferences, concerts, and exhibitions.

Below are the tours offered by the Venice tour guides for Saturday, December 7, starting at 2:30 PM:

1. “The Dorsoduro district: arts, crafts, and curiosities” with Annabianca Traversa
Departure from Piazzale Roma (Calatrava Bridge)

2. “The Jewish Ghetto and the Cannaregio district” with Giovanna Di Cataldo
Departure from Santa Lucia Station (entrance)

3. “Venice in Literature” with Domenico Moramarco
Departure from Santa Lucia Station (entrance)

4. “Scuola Grande di Santa Maria della Misericordia” with Ilaria Rizzardi
Departure from the Scuola Grande della Misericordia (entrance)

5. “Dorsoduro and the Basilica della Salute” with Antonella Bracco
Departure from the Basilica della Salute (entrance)

6. “Off the beaten path: San Trovaso and the Accademia” with Diane Figarella
Departure from the Basilica dei Frari (entrance)

7. “The origins of Venice and the Rialto market” with Donatella Gibbin
Departure from Campo San Bortolo (statue of Carlo Goldoni)

8. “The San Marco District” with Elisabetta Ferrari
Departure from the Church of San Zaccaria (entrance)

9. “Music in Venice and the places of Antonio Vivaldi” with Mauro Masiero
Departure from Piazza San Marco (column with the winged lion of Saint Mark).

Each guided tour will depart at 2:30 PM.

To participate, please send an email to moradomenico@yahoo.it stating the chosen tour number and the number of participants, or visit the Facebook page Tra le calli di Venezia per la Scuola Grande San Giovanni.

Participation is free. It is suggested to contribute a donation to the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni, where each guided tour will conclude, to be paid directly to the Scuola Grande or via bank transfer:

Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista di Venezia
IBAN: IT 56 H030 6909 6061 0000 0013 320
SWIFT (BIC): BCITITMM
Banca Intesa San Paolo
Reference: 7-12 high water

The event is organized with the support of the portal Visitvenezia.eu, the Association of the Clèfs d’Or of Venice – Hotel Concierges, Un Ospite di Venezia, and the Ca’ Foscari Alumni Association.

Photos are by Riccardo Rizzetto @riccardorizz, Lorenzo Cinotti @celestalis, and Rossana Viola @rossviola for Venezia da Vivere.