Restored from 1999 to 2002 with Save Venice general funds

The Gussoni Chapel in the church of San Lio is a superb example of early Renaissance architecture and sculpture in Venice. Dedicated to the Holy Sacrament, a function that it still serves today, the chapel was commissioned by the Gussoni family and executed by Pietro Lombardo and his workshop toward the end of the fifteenth century.

The chapel contains an abundance of sculptural decoration, such as the foliate motifs in finely carved low relief that are characteristic of the Lombardo workshop. Four dominant pilasters, set out from the walls, lead to arches that frame the pendentives. In these pendentives are roundels containing half-length figures of the four Evangelists carved in low relief, a standard arrangement found in a number of domed churches throughout Venice (including San Giobbe, Santa Maria dei Miracoli, and San Giovanni Crisostomo). The pilasters also support a ribbed dome, in the manner of a medieval baldachin or ceremonial canopy. Between the ribs of the cupola, rare contemporary frescoes of prophets were discovered during restoration.

Save Venice has restored all four of what are considered the “great Early Renaissance chapels” in Venice, as identified by Save Venice founder John McAndrew in his classic study, Venetian Architecture of the Early Renaissance. In addition to the Gussoni Chapel, these include the Martini Chapel in San Giobbe, the Cornaro Chapel in Santi Apostoli, and the Badoer Giustinian Chapel in San Francesco della Vigna.

The chapel was restored by conservator Ottorino Nonfarmale, with the exception of the gilded lamps, which were restored by Andrea Libralesso. Their work was conducted with the guidance of project director Annalisa Bristot of the Superintendency of Monuments of Venice.

For select projects, conservation dossiers in Italian containing limited textual and photographic documentation may be available for consultation by appointment at the Venice office of Save Venice and the Rosand Library & Study Center. For inquiries, please contact us at venice@savevenice.org.

Pietro Lombardo (c. 1430–1515)
Gussoni Chapel
c. 1479, marble and Istrian stone

Ralph Lieberman, “Some Family Chapels in Renaissance Venice” (2001)

McAndrew, John. Venetian Architecture of the Early Renaissance. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1980.