Scalzi Church, or more properly Chiesa degli Scalzi, was built of Carrara marble by the Barefoot Carmelites, a mendicant order, and was consecrated in 1705. The Carmelite friars took a vow of poverty, renounced all proprietorship not only individually but also in common, relying for support on their own work and on the charity of the faithful. Hence their name the 'begging friars.' Scalzi was financed by a Count Gregorio Cavazza whose crest appears under the top curved arch on the facade. The building was designed by Baldassare Longhena. The actual facade was designed by Guiseppe Sardi. It represents the triumph of the Virgin Mother. It is a Baroque Church, with, as we shall see, anything but an impoverished interior.
Baldassare Longhena
b. 1598 - d. 1682
Longhena was the son of a stonemason. He studied architecture under the guidance of Vincenzo Scamozzi. His projects for Venice make up an integral part of its Baroque heritage. His magnificent design for the Church of Santa Maria della Salute was selected in 1630. The church was built to commemorate deliverance from a plague that had killed more than 45,000 Venetians. Its position on the Grand Canal next to the Dogana di Mare guaranteed instant visibility and fame. He completed the Procuratie Nuove in the Piazza San Marco, which had been begun by Vincenzo Scamozzi. Longhena also designed the Ca' Pesaro (begun 1652, finished by Antonio Gaspari), and Ca' Bon (now called the Ca'Rezzonico, begun 1667 and finished by Giorgio Massari). He designed everything but the facade of the Scalzi Church. His altars and tombs can be found in churches throughout Venice.
Giuseppe Sardi
b. 1680 - d. 1770
An architect and builder; his first known work was SS Rosario in Marino near Rome. He continued working in Rome until 1720 where he rebuilt the facade of St. Paolo alla Regola. Most of his career seems to have been spent in Rome. We do know however that he designed the facade of Chiesa degli Scalzi in Venice. He also built San Pasquale Baylon in Rome. Like Scalzi, San Pasquale Baylon has a simple facade and a rich interior. Sardi was a member of a commission appointed by Pope Benedict XI in 1742 to report on damage to the dome of St. Peter's, Rome.
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1) Chiesa degli Scalzi [126]
