San Salvador (or San Salvatore) was founded by the Augustinian Canons a religious order between monks and regular clergy. This group oddly was not founded by St. Augustine. The Canons prided themselves on their sheer ordinariness. The Cannons dressed in white. You might think of them as middle class clergy. The little known Georgio Spavento did the design for San Salvador but the actual work was carried out by Tulio Lombardo and later by Sansovino.
Tullio Lombardo
b. ca. 1460 - d. 1532
Lombardo was one of Venice's geniuses. He studied and collaborated with his father Pietro (ca. 1435, Lombardy -1515 Venice) and his brother Antonio (c. 1458-1516) on Santa Maria dei Miracoli and on many church and tomb sculptures in Venice. His bas-reliefs for the facade of the Scuola of San Marco are renowned. He also did a carved altarpiece of 'The Coronation of the Virgin' for the church of San Giovanni Cristostomo. He rebuilt San Salvador from the design by Giorgio Spavento.
Jacopo Sansovino
b. as Jacopo Tatti, Florence 1486 - d. Venice 1570
Jacopo Sansovino began his sculpture career in Rome. He adopted the last name of his teacher, Andrea Sansovino. After the sack of Rome in 1527, he left for Venice, fully expecting to return to Rome. He never did. With the encouragement of Doge Andrea Gritti, Sansovino quickly became the most influential architect of Venice. He is responsible for the re-design of the Piazza San Marco. He designed the Biblioteca Marciana and the Loggetta near the base of the bell tower of San Marco. He designed San Francisco della Vigna, and participated in the design of other parish churches, and many other projects. His sculptures include the 'St. John the Baptist' in the Frari, the 'Mars' and 'Neptune' at the top of the Scala dei Giganti at the Doges' Palace, and several works in San Salvatore.
Giorgio Spavento
b.1486 - d. Venice 1509
Originally trained as a woodworker. An architect and engineer, Spavento dominated Venetian architecture in the early 1500's. He was architect to the Procurators of St. Mark's Cathedral until he died. He worked on the Doges' Palace east wing. He supervised the rebuilding of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi (the German merchants' building) in Venice after the original was destroyed by fire. His masterpiece is San Salvatore, the 12th Century church rebuilt in the 16th Century for the Augustinians. His design for Salvador was executed by Tullio Lombardo.
|
1) San Salvador Façade - Georgio Spavento Design [87]
