Save Venice is seeking sponsors for the conservation of the High Altar in the Church of Santa Maria del Giglio.

*Published sponsorship costs are subject to change due to conservation plan modifications and fluctuations in exchange rates.

Please contact kim@savevenice.org today for more information and the latest cost estimates.

The high altar of Santa Maria del Giglio is more than a magnificent assemblage of precious marbles and distinguished craftmanship: it is a remarkably unified devotional ensemble. Created through an ambitious collaboration among stonemasons, carpenters, sculptors, and painters, it ranks among the most impressive altars of late 17h-century Venice. Its patron, the Scuola del Santissimo Sacramento, was a lay confraternity devoted to the veneration of the Eucharist, and this commitment shaped the altar at every level. Architecture, sculpture, precious stone, and liturgical furnishing were brought together in a coherent program centered on Christ’s sacramental presence.

Surviving documents reveal an active and closely supervised worksite. From the outset, the Scuola took a direct role in the project, approving designs and models as early as July 1689 and, in August 1690, entrusting Gerolamo and Antonio Viviani with supervision of the construction. The altar’s Eucharistic meaning is stated most explicitly on its frontal, where a magnificent polychrome hardstone inlay, or pietre dure, by Antonio Rusini depicts the Last Supper, the moment of the institution of the Eucharist. Functioning as a permanent altar frontal, the image gives visual form to the event ritually re-enacted by the priest at the altar above during the celebration of Mass, while at the same time directly reflecting the dedication and devotional purpose of the Scuola.

The intarsia forms part of a broader sculptural and architectural framework that develops this meaning across the altar. At its outer corners, two stone putti carved in the round—probably executed by Giovanni Comin between 1691 and 1692—appear to support the altar table, animating the weighty structure. Behind them, inlaid stone panels by Giuseppe Rusini depict Four Angels Bearing the Instruments of the Passion, linking the Eucharistic meal of the Last Supper to Christ’s suffering and death. The frontal thus establishes a relationship that the liturgy itself continually renewed: between the institution of the Eucharist and the sacrifice of the Cross.

Above this richly articulated base rises the imposing tabernacle, designed by the painter Antonio Zanchi and executed by Girolamo Viviani by 1696. Its central position gives architectural prominence to the place where the consecrated Host was reserved, making it the visual and devotional focus of the ensemble. Flanking it are freestanding marble statues of the Archangel Gabriel and the Virgin Annunciate, carved by Enrico Merengo around 1702 and commissioned by Antonio Barbarigo, Procurator of Saint Mark, to replace earlier wooden figures that had deteriorated.

The addition of Gabriel and the Virgin extends the altar’s theological program from the Passion and Eucharist to the Incarnation. Positioned on either side of the tabernacle, the figures transform the space around the reserved sacrament into a re-enactment of the Annunciation, placing the mystery of the Word made flesh in direct relation to Christ’s sacramental presence. The imagery of the altar thus unfolds as a sequence of interconnected events: the Annunciation marks the Incarnation, the Instruments of the Passion anticipate Christ’s sacrificial death, and the Last Supper establishes the Eucharistic form through which that sacrifice is perpetually commemorated. At the center of this visual and theological network stands the tabernacle, containing the sacrament that gave the Scuola del Santissimo Sacramento both its name and its devotional identity.

The high altar shows widespread surface deterioration caused by dust and atmospheric deposits, localized darkening, and prolonged exposure to humidity. The marble steps are heavily worn from foot traffic, with loss of polish, abrasions, worn edges, and uneven coloring. Some stone elements also show cracks, fractures, and old fills that are deteriorated or partly detached. Surface deposits and altered patinas also affect the marble statues, sculpted putti, and pietre dure altar frontal, reducing the clarity of their forms and colors.

The conservation treatment will begin with photographic documentation, an assessment of the altar’s condition, and cleaning tests to identify the safest and most effective methods. Loose dirt will be removed first through gentle dry cleaning and controlled vacuuming, followed by cleaning of the marble and inlaid surfaces. Particular attention will be given to the sculpted elements and the pietre dure frontal, with the aim of improving their visual clarity while preserving the historic patina. Cracks and unstable areas will be secured where necessary, and deteriorated or unsuitable fills will be removed and replaced with compatible materials.

Gerolamo Viviani (17th century)
Antonio Viviani (17th century)
Altar

Antonio Rusini (17th – 18th century)
Last Supper
1691-1692, polychrome hardstone inlay

Giuseppe Rusini (17th – 18th century)
Four Angels with the Instruments of the Passion
1691-1692, polychrome hardstone inlay

Giovanni Comin (ca. 1647 – 1695)
Two Putti
1691-1692, marble

Antonio Zanchi [designer] (1631 – 1722)
Gerolamo Viviani [sculptor] (17th – 18th century)
Archangel Gabriel and Virgin Annunciate
ca. 1702, marble

De Lorenzi, Paolo. “Una divinità nella bottega dello scrittore. Cronache d’arte tra Sei e Settecento dalla Pallade Veneta.” Saggi e memorie di storia dell’arte, 40 (2016): 47-78

Piermatteo, Valeria. “Giovanni Mattia Bertolo Consultore in Iure della Repubblica Veneziana. Profilo di un avvocato tra professione, devozione e patrocinio delle arti.” Saggi e memorie di storia dell’arte, 31 (2007): 295-344

Rossi, Paola. “I Morlaiter a Santa Maria del Giglio.” Arte Veneta, 51 (1997): 107-112