Despite the fact the Church of San Beneto (or Bartolomeo) no longer works as a place of worship, having been deconsecrated since the 1980s, it still remains a notable, even if former, religious sight to visit while in Venice. Much of the present structure was delineated in 1170, when a former place of worship (apparently dedicated to Saint Demetrius) was completely rebuilt. However, the construction works conducted by Giovanni Scalfarotto in 1723 were decisive for how the building looks today.

The artistic asset is not as consistent as it is the case with other reputed places of worship in Venice. The exterior is embellished, so to say, by a distorted face, allegedly hinting on the scene of the martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew (or Beneto, in Venetian), said to have been skinned alive before his death. Most of the inner artistic patrimony was removed, given the church was left derelict for decades (centuries even) after several centuries when it was constantly used by the German community of Venice. However, the few works of art still remaining in this edifice (which, for that matter, is used for concerts, due to its wholesome acoustics) refer to a fresco by Morleiter which depict the scene of San Beneto in Glory, to a statuary by Heinrich Meyring (scattered within the church, including on the altar), to a valuable scene by Tiepolo which renders the figure of San Francesco di Paolo, to two paintings still focusing on sundry episodes from the life of San Beneto signed by Sebastiano Mazzoni, as well as to Bernardo Strozzi’s Saint Sebastian Tended by the Holy Women.

Name:
Church of San Beneto (Chiesa di San Beneto / Chiesa di San Bartolomeo)
Address:
San Marco, Venice, Italy
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