Basilica of San Zanipolo (Santi Giovanni e Paolo)

Churches in Venice - Castello

Like the Frari, the massive Gothic brick edifice of Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo was erected from mid-13th to early 15th century, by the Dominican Friars. It is dedicated to the two 3rd century Roman martyrs, the brothers Giovanni and Paolo and better known as San Zanipolo, as Zani and Polo are Venetian dialect form of names Giovanni and Paolo.
It is, as often happens in Venice, on the square of the same name.

Since the fifteenth century all doge funerals took place in this church and twenty-five of them are buried here. The church also hosts a foot of St Catherine, while two nude statues of Adam and Eve were removed (being considered inappropriate) and are now stored at the New York's Metropolitan Museum.

The simplicity of the cavernous interior - approximately 90 metres long, 38 metres wide at the transepts, 33 metres high in the centre - is offset by Zanipolo's profusion of tombs and monuments, including those of some twenty-five doges.

There are paintings of Giovanni Bellini (Polyptych of S. Vincenzo Ferreri), Bartolomeo Vivarini, Lorenzo Lotto, Paolo Veronese and sculptures by Pietro Lombardo (Monument of Pietro Mocenigo), Tullio Lombardo (Monument of Andrea Vendramin, St Mark Baptizes Ammianus), Alessandro Vittoria, Piero di Niccolo Lamberti.

Address: Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Castello

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