The minor basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei
Frari in
Campo dei Frari, in the heart of the sestiere, of San Polo, is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. First built in 1250 by the Franciscan friars, it was replaced by a larger building (the current church) almost two centuries later.The adjacent brick bell-tower (1396) dominates this Italian
Gothic church. The exposed brick façade of the church is dominated by a pointed arch portal and a statue of the Redeemer blessing the faithful. The interior of this basilica has a
Latin cross plan with three [naves] and contains a
cenotaph by
Tiziano and dedicated to Canova, plus
Monteverdi’s tomb.Two large organs from the 1700s are still in perfect working condition today. Once a popular fashion, there are two choirs, one for each of the two organs on either side of the chancel, reflecting Venetian music in the 16th and 17th Centuries. The altars and chapels of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari are adorned by various masterpieces: an Assumption and the Pesaro altarpiece by Titian, the Martyrdom of St. Catherine Caterina by
Palma il Giovane, a Virgin with Child, putti musicians and Saints (1488) by
Giovanni Bellini and a wooden St. John the Baptist by Donatello.
