Church of Saint Mary of the Rosary in Venice Church

The Church of the Jesuates on the Zattere

Facing the Giudecca Canal, on the Zattere, the church Santa Maria del Rosario, better known as the Gesuati (Jesuates), is one of the finest achievements of 18th-century Venice, between late Baroque and Rococo. Its bright façade with classical lines and its luminous interior contrast with the more usual dimness of the city’s ancient churches.

A commission entrusted to Massari

The present building was built for the Dominicans, who had taken over in 1668 the complex of an older order, that of the

Gesuati or Jesuates, suppressed the same year. Their former church, now too small, survives right next door under the name of Santa Maria della Visitazione. The first stone of the new Santa Maria del Rosario was laid in 1726; the construction continued for several years, while its decoration was completed until about the mid-18th century.

The architect Giorgio Massari designed not only the building, but also a large part of its interior layout, including the altars and the choir stalls. His architecture takes up certain principles of Palladio, especially those of the nearby Redentore, while adapting them to the more dynamic taste of the 18th century. Sculpture also plays an essential role in the whole, with numerous interventions by Gian Maria Morlaiter.

A collection of major works

Beyond Tiepolo, the church brings together a remarkable artistic ensemble for a building of this size. Giambattista Piazzetta painted there an important altarpiece representing the Dominican saints Louis Bertrand, Vincent Ferrer, and Hyacinth; Sebastiano Ricci is also present. A Crucifixion by Jacopo Tintoretto, coming from the old neighboring church and restored in the 18th century by Piazzetta, constitutes one of the most interesting links between the old Jesuate complex and the new building.

Morlaiter’s sculptures complete this particularly coherent decorative concept: statues, angels, and reliefs integrate with the altars and the architecture designed by Massari. Painting, sculpture, and architecture thus participate in a single ensemble, making the Gesuati one of the most complete expressions of 18th-century Venetian religious art.

Visiting the Gesuati

The church is part of the Chorus network, which allows visiting several historical churches in Venice. Its position on the Zattere, between the San Trovaso area and the Punta della Dogana, makes it a natural stop during a walk along the Giudecca Canal. The former Santa Maria della Visitazione, immediately adjacent, also allows understanding the evolution of this religious complex between the Renaissance and the 18th century.

Sources and additional information

Chorus Venezia — Santa Maria del Rosario (Gesuati) ; Treccani — Giorgio Massari.