Santa Maria dei Miracoli Historical Timeline

Origins

Santa Maria dei Miracoli grew out of a single devotional image -- a painting of the Virgin Mary attributed to Nicolo di Pietro that was said to have performed miracles. The picture drew such a following that in 1481 Pietro Lombardo was commissioned to build a church around it, rather than simply housing it in an existing one.

Turning points

Lombardo completed the church in 1489, a remarkably short building period for the era, made possible by a design that used prefabricated marble panels rather than carved stonework built up in place. In 1484, partway through construction, the plans were expanded to add a convent for the nuns of St. Clare, connected to the church by a covered walkway that has since been demolished.

Cultural evolution

The church's compact scale and controlled decoration made it an influential model for Venetian Renaissance architecture, a departure from the larger, more austere Gothic churches that preceded it. Its reputation as a wedding venue developed later, drawn by the intimacy of the single nave and the coherence of its interior.

Present-day significance

A restoration between 1987 and 1997 -- prompted by salt damage to the marble cladding, a chronic problem for buildings this close to the lagoon -- ran to roughly four times its original budget, a reminder of how costly it is to preserve stone architecture in Venice's environment. The church remains in use both for services and for weddings today.