Madonna dell'Orto Historical Timeline

Origins

The Humiliati religious order founded the church in the mid-14th century under the direction of Tiberio da Parma, originally dedicating it to St. Christopher, patron saint of ferrymen and travelers. Foundation problems forced a restoration as early as 1399.

Turning points

The church's popular name comes from a legend: a statue of the Madonna, originally carved for another church and rejected there, was said to work miracles after being brought to a nearby vegetable garden (orto). In 1414, the church was officially renamed Chiesa della Madonna dell'Orto in its honor, the name it has kept ever since.

Influential people

Tintoretto lived nearby and made this his home parish, working on paintings for the church from 1552 to 1569. He decorated the organ shutters, contributed to the Contarini Chapel, and above all filled the apse with two enormous canvases, the Adoration of the Golden Calf and the Last Judgement, flanking the choir on either side.

Cultural evolution

Tintoretto died in 1594 and was buried in the church's apsidal chapel, in the tomb of his father-in-law Marco Episcopi, alongside his wife Faustina and two of his children, Domenico and Marietta -- Domenico himself contributed further paintings to the church his father had spent decades decorating.

Present-day significance

Ten of Tintoretto's paintings remain in the church today, making it one of the most concentrated single-artist collections in Venice outside a dedicated museum, and a genuine pilgrimage site for anyone following his work through the city.