San Trovaso Church Church

San Trovaso, the Church with Two Facades

On the Campo San Trovaso, a few steps from the famous squero of the same name, the San Trovaso church owes its name to the Venetian contraction of the names Gervase and Protase, the two saints to whom it is dedicated. It presents an unusual feature: two very similar facades, one facing the campo and the other facing the rio that runs alongside the building.
Its interest is particularly linked to its surroundings, in the Squero di San Trovaso, one of the ancient Venetian shipyards still devoted to the construction and repair of gondolas and other boats, a craft activity characteristic of Dorsoduro.

A Medieval Church Rebuilt in the Renaissance

The origins of San Trovaso probably date back to the Early Middle Ages, with Chorus dating a first construction to the first half of the 9th century. Remodeled several times over the centuries, the church almost completely collapsed in 1583. Its reconstruction was undertaken shortly after and gave rise to most of the present building, in a classical style marked by the influence of Palladio’s school. Its Latin cross plan includes a vast single nave flanked by chapels.

Tintoretto and the Venetian Painters

The interior is richer than the sobriety of the building might suggest. Jacopo Tintoretto is particularly present through the Last Supper, painted around 1564-1566, and the spectacular Temptation of Saint Anthony of 1577. His son Domenico produced several large canvases for the church, including the Adoration of the Magi and Saint Joachim Driven from the Temple, while Palma the Younger is notably the author of a Nativity of the Virgin executed after the reconstruction.

Sources and Further Information

Chorus Venezia — Chiesa di San Trovaso ; Comune di Venezia — Campo San Trovaso ; Catalogo generale dei Beni Culturali.