San Pietro di Castello
Church
Chair of St. Peter
Isola San Pietro di Castello
The seat of the Venetian head of church
The settlement Olivollo on the Isola San Pietro was one of the oldest human settlements in the lagoon. A church is thought to have been built on the island back in the 8th century – according to a legend, St. Peter himself commissioned the building. From 775 to 1807 the church was the seat of the Venetian bishop and of the spiritual leaders of the lagoon city. St. Mark’s Basilica on the other hand served until 1807 only as personal palace chapel of the Doge.
The present church of Can Pietro is from the 17th century and is definitely worth a visit. The impressive facade was created according to plans by Andrea Palladio, the mighty Campanile was built by Mauro Coducci. Inside, the high altar and the choir frescoes deserve special attention. The altarpiece was created by Paolo Veronese and the choir frescoes by Girolamo Pellegrini. A particular highlight is the Cattedra di San Pietro, the chair of St. Peter. The massive marble throne was brought from Antioch and, according to a legend, it was in fact the chair of St. Peter. The backrest of the throne is an Arab grave stele – the engraved Koran texts can still be seen.
Entrance
€ 3,-
Opening hours
Discounts
free entrance with Chorus pass
Accessibility
Landing stage: Giardini
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