Located on a small canal near the Venetian docks in the Dorsoduro district, San Sebastiano is in what was once one of the poorest areas of Venice. The original church was founded by Anchorite monks who rejected all contact with the world. San Sebastiano was one of the saints who was invoked to protect the faithful against the plague. This church was named San Sebastiano after the plague of 1464. The current building was begun in 1506 but not completed until 1548. It was designed by Scarpagnino. The church and attached convent were suppressed by Napoleon in 1810. San Sebastiano is Veronese's masterpiece, his painterly skill is in abundance on the inside. San Sebastiano occupies a place in Venetian art similar to Tintoretto's famous paintings in the Scuola di San Rocco. It is his personal monument. Veronese and his brother Benedetto, a trusted assistant, are buried near the high altar of San Sebastiano.
Scarpagnino or Lo Scarpagnino
b. as Antonio Abbondi, active 1505 - 1549
An architect, he finished the facade of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco begun by Bartolomeo Bon. He designed the church of San Sebastiano. Jacopo Sansovino and Scarpagnino worked on designs for the Giant's Staircase and the Golden Staircase in the Ducal Palace.
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1) Exterior [161]
