Where Gumbo Was #387
Gumbo was visiting the Church of Saint Zechariah (also known as Zaccaria or Zacharias) in Venice. Congratulations to George G and PortMoresby for recognizing where Gumbo was.
This is a smaller but historic church that’s worth exploring. It’s just a short walk from fabulous St Mark’s Basilica and Piazza San Marco. The current church is the third built on the site, being constructed in the late 15th-century. Parts of the older churches have been incorporated into the present structure and can be visited, some dating to the 9th century. A Benedictine Monastery for nuns was adjacent to the church and was largely destroyed by fire in 1105, killing dozens of nuns in the blaze.
The church is dedicated to Saint Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, whose remains are the reason the church was built; his remains rest in one of the chapels, which you can visit.
(remains of San Zechariah, father of John the Baptist)
The Church of Saint Zechariah was favored by the rulers of Venice, known as Doges. It was a Doge in the 9th century who commissioned the church be built to house the body of St. Zechariah, and Doges are said to have visited the church every Easter Monday. A number of Doges are buried in the church’s crypt and the choir has a collection of silver chairs where the Doges used to sit when attending services here.
The interior of the church is small but lovely. Nearly every wall is covered with paintings, including Bellini’s great work, the San Zaccaria Altarpiece. It’s always great to see art displayed exactly where the artist intended it.
(San Zaccaria Altarpiece by Giovanni Bellini)
(Birth of the Baptist, by Tintoretto, is in a side chapel)
(Chapel of St. Athanasius, bottom photo with silver chairs used by Doges)
A door takes you through to the Cappella dell’Addolorata, a relatively simple chapel but it is here that some of the beautiful tile-work we saw in our puzzle clues were noted by me.
Chapel of Sorrows (Cappella dell’Addolorata)
Finally there is the lovely Chapel of San Tarasio. This chapel was the presbytery and apse of the old church, Fragments of both the 9th-century and the 12th-century tile floors are visible, and the chapel features some very impressive frescoes in the vaulting. In this chapel you’ll also find three well-preserved late-gothic gilded altarpieces.
(San Tarasio chapel, part of the old church)
Stairs descend into the 10th-century crypt, which is always flooded to some degree. This is another relic of the older church and their are tombs of eight early doges found down here, partially submerged.
