SCUOLA GRANDE DI SAN ROCCO Upper Hall

2:21

Now you're in the spectacular hall where the School's Council held its meetings. It is one of the most sumptuous Renaissance halls of the city: it's more than 43 meters long, 17 wide, and almost 10 high. It has a clear and airy structure studded with double arch windows and a beautiful floor; at the back, behind a balustrade, you can admire an impressive marble altar. The lights that you see on the sides were carried in procession on ceremonial occasions. But of course the hall is linked to paintings by Tintoretto, who returned to work at the Scuola di San Rocco a decade after having decorated the room you just saw.

First, I suggest a little trick: to observe the works on the ceiling take a mirror with you, otherwise you risk a pretty stiff neck! Keep in mind that the ceiling paintings are dedicated to the episodes of the Old Testament, and the square paintings on the walls are all dedicated to episodes of the Gospel. There are more than thirty works, not to mention the minor inserts, painted over five years: tons of work for Tintoretto and his workshop, if you consider that during the same period he was also involved in the decoration of the Doge's Palace! If you want to see what Tintoretto looked like, go take a look at his self-portrait with a very devout pose that he left to the school.

As you may have noticed, these paintings are united by a great vivacity of movement and by an extraordinary virtuosity in angles and perspectives. The main theme, which is the help that God offers to the faithful, is depicted in three huge paintings on the ceiling, each about 25 square meters. The subjects are taken from the biblical book of Exodus, which tells the journey of the people of Israel following Moses.

 

FUN FACT: if you're wondering why the palace you're visiting has been dedicated to San Rocco, you should know that the saint, who lived in France at the beginning of the 14th century, devoted himself to helping the sick, and was doing precisely that when he caught the Bubonic plague in Piacenza. So he retired to a forest in the company of his faithful dog, who brought him his necessary food every day, and was treated by an angel there. From that moment on, he became the patron saint of plague victims.

TravelMate recommends
Choose the option
that suits you
Buy Venice
Permanently unlock the app with all content of Venice for
€ 8,99
Buy
Promotion
Unlock audio content of all available cities for 3 years at the promotional price
€ 19,99
Buy
Don't miss out!
VENICE INTRODUCTION
1 Audio

VENICE INTRODUCTION

Venice has no equal. The whole city is built on the sea, on wooden piles: the buildings, squares and streets rest on the piles, most of which have remained intact for centuries and which run down...
THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE
1 Audio

THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE

A typically Venetian starter is sarde in saor, fried sardines served with onions caramelized in vinegar, pine-nuts and raisins. The recipe originated from the sailors’ need to preserve food for...
ST. MARK'S
10 Audio

ST. MARK'S

Between a million pigeons, tourists, the café tables, and small orchestras, during daytime the square is always crowded. Consider that the esplanade in front of the cathedral was built starting...
DOGE'S PALACE
8 Audio

DOGE'S PALACE

I suggest admiring both sides of its exterior first before visiting its interior. It will be like plunging into the history of Venice, the queen of the seas!You should know that the Doge's Palace was...
GRAND CANAL
8 Audio

GRAND CANAL

You can see the canal all in one go by letting the banks pass you by from the windows of a vaporetto, or you can make a number of stops: each of the main buildings have their own dedicated audio...
ACCADEMIA GALLERY
10 Audio

ACCADEMIA GALLERY

For many centuries, the only bridge that remained standing over the Grand Canal was the Rialto Bridge: the other two only came after the mid-nineteenth century, were immediately indispensable and...
RIALTO BRIDGE
2 Audio

RIALTO BRIDGE

Of course the best viewpoint of the Rialto Bridge is from the water, and you've probably already seen it from a boat; even if the bridge is quite impressive when you pass under it, it's just as...
GUGGENHEIM
2 Audio

GUGGENHEIM

In 1948 the palace was bought by the whimsical collector and art dealer Peggy Guggenheim, who was fascinated by this unusual building. Guggenheim's life was like a story from a novel: born in New...
BASILICA OF THE FRIARS
7 Audio

BASILICA OF THE FRIARS

As you've probably already noticed, Venice isn't always easy to navigate what with its squares, hidden alleys, and tiny streets that lead directly to the water... It helps if you identify some...
SCUOLA GRANDE DI SAN ROCCO
4 Audio

SCUOLA GRANDE DI SAN ROCCO

The Scuola Grande di San Rocco, which is located at the Basilica of the Frari and next to the church dedicated to the saint, is one of the most famous, not only for the building's Renaissance...
CORRER MUSEUM
3 Audio

CORRER MUSEUM

In the main museum in St. Mark's Square, which also extends to the rooms of the Napoleonica Wing, you'll find two very interesting collections: the historical memorabilia of the Republic of Venice,...
SAN ZANIPOLO
7 Audio

SAN ZANIPOLO

You are near one of the jewels of the city's Gothic architecture. The church of Saints John and Paul, known by the Venetians as San Zanìpolo, was built in 1200 by the Dominicans in this large...
CÀ REZZONICO
3 Audio

CÀ REZZONICO

You've surely already admired the palace while passing it on the Grand Canal: can you imagine a better place for hosting 18th-century paintings, furniture, and objects? The collections come from...
LA FENICE THEATER
1 Audio

LA FENICE THEATER

Even if you've never been here before, you'll probably already recognize the interior of this historic building from the fantastic New Year's concerts broadcast on TV. If it's true that fate is...
CÀ D'ORO
3 Audio

CÀ D'ORO

Ca' d'Oro was built in the first half of the 15th century for the aristocrat Marino Contarini: the building's project was designed by Lombard master builders, but its decoration was entrusted to a...
BIENNALE
2 Audio

BIENNALE

With celebrations, festivals, concerts, theater seasons, art exhibitions, and film, you'll never be bored in Venice! The Biennale is an eagerly awaited date that's held in odd-numbered years,...
THE GHETTO
3 Audio

THE GHETTO

The area was connected to the rest of the city by just these two small bridges, which you can still recognize today by the the stone slabs where the rules were engraved. In doing so the Ghetto could...
MURANO
3 Audio

MURANO

When choosing a souvenir from Venice (which range from expensive leather masks to small plastic gondolas), you will be offered a large assortment of glassware: colored beads, blown glass animals,...
MARCIANA LIBRARY
3 Audio

MARCIANA LIBRARY

Sansovino was practically adopted by Venice: he had been named Protomastro, which meant he was responsible for public buildings in the city, a position that allowed him to create splendid official...
SCUOLA DI S. GIORGIO DEGLI SCHIAVONI
2 Audio

SCUOLA DI S. GIORGIO DEGLI SCHIAVONI

Vittore Carpaccio is one of the protagonists of the Venetian Renaissance, famous above all for the great narrative scenes he painted for the "Schools", which were typical Venetian welfare...
ARSENAL
1 Audio

ARSENAL

This boat production complex was established shortly after the year 1000, and became the most highly concentrated workforce throughout Europe, reaching approximately 3,000 employees. Just think, the...
SAN SEBASTIANO
1 Audio

SAN SEBASTIANO

Little by little Paolo Veronese, the clearest and most festive painter of the full Venetian Renaissance, turned this church into a chamber of wonders. If you look around, you'll find that he has...
TravelMate App
DOWNLOAD NOW
THE TRAVELMATE APP
Purchase your activation code, download the TravelMate App, and turn your smartphone into your personal travel companion!
Listen to audio guides about the wonders of the world with TravelMate.
HAVE FUN!