An exciting journey to discover the famous celebration of the Redentore through the archive documents and paintings of the Querini Stampalia collection.

A themed visit to explore the history and folklore of a centuries-old tradition, one of the most loved by Venetians.

The story of this feast, where the sacred and the profane are inextricably intertwined, will shed an interesting light on Venice and its history.

There are many curiosities: from the plagues and their depictions, to Palladio's plans for the Church of the Redentore and to the iconography of this important celebration.

The visit is enriched on this occasion with photographs by Graziano Arici, whose archive is preserved in the Foundation.

The event is offered both in English and Italian:

H. 10 am visit in English

H. 11 am visit in Italian

The cost is €25 per person, including a themed guided visit, the opportunity to see unpublished documents and an aperitif in the Carlo Scarpa garden.

For reservation and information

The tradition of Redentore dates back to 1577 and commemorates the end of a terrible plague. It was celebrated with the construction of a church on the Giudecca island, which bears the same name as the festival and was designed by Andrea Palladio.

The visit will explore the theme of the plagues in Venice (1348, 1576, 1630) through the documents in the Library's collection.

In the 15th century, lively debate opened up in the medical field, attempting to identify the causes of the plague, to organize measures to prevent it and recommend treatments.

The Fasciculus Medicinae of 1493 is clear evidence of this: it contains the renowned woodcuttings depicting a leper and it offers the first long discussion of the issue by Pietro da Tossignano. There is a rich record of literature from over two centuries by key experts of the time. The Library holds numerous texts, such as the announcements and proclamations released by the Health Superintendents from the 15th to the 17th centuries. Equally noteworthy is the iconography of the plague: engravings of the Old and New Lazarettos and images of the plague doctors.

When the plague was over, a debate took place in the city over the construction of the Church of Redentore, which was commissioned to Andrea Palladio in 1577 as an ex voto. The building was completed in 1592. A place of worship for the Venetians, it soon became a universal symbol of architectural creativity, included in the "Fabriche Cospicue", a book of iconic buildings of the city. From Albrizzi to Francesco Zanotto, from Cicognara to Paoletti and Lazzari, the Palladio legend lives on in engravings made between the 18th and the 19th centuries.

During the 18th century, Venice gradually codified its traditional celebrations into a precise "secular and religious" calendar, from Carnival to the Regatta Storica. The theme of the feast day is introduced through the painting of Gabriel Bella in the Museum: the regattas, the food, the rituals.

It was during the 19th century that the popular aspects became more important than the religious tradition. Issues of the satirical magazine Sior Tonin Bonagrazia, rich in articles, inserts and illustrations, clearly demonstrate this. They are full of poems, motets, and competitions for the best song dedicated to the Redentore.

The pictures of calli and canals by Ferdinando Ongania show views of the Giudecca between the end of 1800s and the beginning of 1900s, with small boats gathered around the docks and in the lagoon facing Saint Mark with thousands of spectators.