01.11.2026
Visiting the Madonna dell’Orto means experiencing a quieter, more authentic Venice, less constructed for tourism.
So called because of the nearby statue of the Madonna and Child, which the sculptor Giovanni de Santi had placed in his home’s garden. Believed to be miraculous, it became a place of pilgrimage.
The building’s success, however, is tied to its unbreakable bond with one of the greatest artists in Venetian history: Jacopo Tintoretto (1518-1594), who had a workshop a few blocks away and worked there for approximately thirty years, leaving behind some of his greatest masterpieces and finally being buried in the chapel of the right apse. Visiting the Madonna dell’Orto therefore also means retracing the history of an artist who revolutionized the painting of his time.
A large group of valuable canvases by Jacopo Tintoretto, combined with other important paintings, such as the famous altarpiece by Cima da Conegliano, and sculptures, make this church a subtle but precious treasure chest of art.
