San Simeon Piccolo Church

San Simeon Piccolo, the great dome facing the station

With its vast copper dome turned green, San Simeon Piccolo is one of the first monuments visitors discover upon leaving Santa Lucia station, just opposite, on the other side of the Grand Canal. Despite its name, the current church is no longer "small": this name was once used to distinguish it from the neighboring San Simeon Grande, when the old building was still the more modest of the two.

A church probably existed here as early as the 10th century. It became dilapidated and was completely demolished in 1718, then rebuilt under the direction of Giovanni Antonio Scalfarotto. Work was completed in 1738. The new building is one of the most original achievements of 18th-century Venice, in some respects heralding the neoclassical taste that would prevail a few decades later.

A Venetian Pantheon

The façade is dominated by an imposing portico with Corinthian columns topped by a sculpted pediment depicting the martyrdom of the titular saints, a work by Francesco Cabianca. Behind it rises an almost circular body covered by the spectacular dome. The reference to the Pantheon in Rome is obvious, but the architecture combines several influences: the dome also recalls the Venetian tradition and Longhena's Salute, while certain interior arrangements evoke Palladio.

The interior, more sober than the exterior might suggest, is organized around a central space and a presbytery flanked by apses. It retains several 18th-century works, statues of the Apostles, a wooden organ, as well as altars and sculptures restored in the early 2010s. More than for a great pictorial ensemble, San Simeon Piccolo therefore deserves a visit for its singular architecture, its crypt, and its spectacular position at the western entrance to Venice.

Sources and further information

Venetian Heritage – history, architecture and restorations ; Venezia Unica – Santa Croce and San Simeon Piccolo ; FAI – crypt of San Simeon Piccolo ; Patriarchate of Venice – San Simeon Piccolo.