Restored in 2001 with funding from the Venetian Club of Trinity College (Hartford, Connecticut).

One of the Frari’s most extraordinary treasures is the 17th-century clock preserved in the sacristy, distinguished by a remarkable pair of protective shutters unlike any other in Venice. Carved in cypress wood with exceptional virtuosity, the clock’s elaborate decoration unfolds as a meditation on the passage of time and human destiny, depicting the Last Judgment, the Four Seasons, and the Stages of Life. The wooden shutters are further enriched with parchment panels covered in elegant calligraphy and elaborate marginalia, which not only protect the mechanism but also serve as an interpretive guide, explaining the rich symbolism of the intricate carvings concealed behind them.

The sculptural decoration has been attributed to Francesco Pianta the Younger, celebrated for the spectacular wooden figures that animate the Sala Superiore of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. While Pianta’s authorship of the carvings is widely accepted, the identity of the skilled calligrapher responsible for the parchment inscriptions remains unknown, adding an enduring element of mystery to one of the Frari’s most fascinating works of decorative art.

The clock shutters were restored by Margherita Errera of the Filigrana conservation firm, with the guidance of project director Fiorella Spadavecchia of the Superintendency of Fine Arts 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.

Unidentified artist (17th century)
Shutters of the Sacristy Clock
17th century, parchment

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Chorus Association: Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari