Artists: Various
Location: Chapel off left nave, Church of San Pietro di Castello
Media: Mosaic, marble, Istrian stone
Treatment: Cleaning and restoration
Sponsor: The California Chapter, Save Venice Inc.

Built in the seventh century, the church of San Pietro was to play a key role in Venetian history. Located on the Island of Olivolo, one of the first settlements in the lagoon, it was originally the bishop's see. In 1451, it became the seat of the Patriarchate. It remained the cathedral of Venice until 1807, when the honor passed to the Basilica of San Marco.

Throughout its long history, San Pietro has undergone a great deal of restructuring. When the present building was renovated in 1596, for example, the architect incorporated a family chapel from the late Gothic period (1425) that had been commissioned by Bishop Marco Lando.

The Lando Chapel boasts an impressive ensemble of sculptural and decorative elements spanning an entire millennium, all of which were restored. These objects include a Roman decorative mosaic (5th century AD) situated in the space below the altar; a marble altar from a Veneto-Byzantine screen (9th century); two free-standing columns with Veneto-Byzantine capitals (11th century), possibly from the adjacent baptistry; the Marco Lando tomb with inlaid marble decorations; a bust of San Lorenzo Giustinian, the first Patriarch of Venice, based on a painting by Gentile Bellini; and a mosaic altarpiece of Gli Ognissanti (All Saints), possibly executed by Arminio Zuccato in 1570 from a cartoon by Tintoretto. In addition, the walls of the chapel were replastered, the windows repaired, and a new electrical system installed.

Photo: Matteo de Fina