Church of San Barnaba

The Church of San Barnaba is a beautiful church in Dorsoduro, in Venice, with a facade inspired by a Greek temple, known by many for being featured in a few scenes of the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

SHORT HISTORY

The church was founded in 936, on the place of a previous church, San Lorenzo, which would probably have been built at beginning of the 9th century.

Because of the numerous fires, the Church of San Barnaba underwent several reconstructions, until it was consecrated on December 6, 1350.

The current appearance dates back to 1779, when it was completed the renovation work begun in 1749, on a project by the architect Lorenzo Boschetti.

In 1810, in full Napoleonic rule, the parish was suppressed and the church was deconsecrated.

ARCHITECTURE

The façade of the church, designed by Lorenzo Boschetti, was built in 1749 in a classical style, with Corinthian style columns.

The interior has a single-nave structure, with six side altars, three on the right and three on the left, all decorated with paintings, except one, and a presbytery with a square plan.

The bell-tower, built in Romanesque style, stands detached from the church. The bell-tower, with three arched windows on each side and a conical roof, was rebuilt in Gothic style in 1350 and restored in 1882 by Lodovico Cadorin.

ART

Inside, you can find works by Antonio Foler, Francesco Beccaruzzi, Giuseppe de Gobbis and Paolo Veronese.

On the side walls of the presbytery, there are two paintings by Jacopo Palma il Giovane.

On the ceiling, there are two large frescoes both dating back to the eighteenth century and attributed to Costantino Cedini.

HOW TO GET THERE

The nearest vaporetto station is Ca’ Rezzonico, about 180 meters from the church, where you can get with one of the waterbuses of Line 1 ACTV. If you plan to find the church on foot, use the map below.