The” Scuole Grandi” of Venice

Times ago were  large or corporations or religious art and craft, Schools today are veritable museums full of priceless works of art. Built around 1200, were suppressed by Napoleon, but some are reconstituted. The best known are the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista, the Great School of the Carmine, the Scuola Grande San Teodoro, the Scuola Grande San Marco, the Scuola Grande di Santa Maria della Misericordia and the Scuola Grande di St. Mary of Charity.

The Scuola Grande di San Rocco (San Polo 3052) is one of the most impressive buildings in Venice because inside for its splendid decoration original painting by Jacopo Robusti, known as Tintoretto, built between 1564 and 1588. The School can be visited from 9.30am to 5.30pm.

The Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista (San Polo 2454 ) is the oldest. If the exterior is striking for its beauty, the grand staircase and the interior will leave you breathless. To visit the Chapter Hall of the Massari, the Chapel of the Cross where he holds the fourteenth century the relic of the Holy Cross, with the Hall of the paintings by Palma il Giovane and the Hall of Columns. Visiting hours are from 9.30am to 5pm.

The Scuola Grande dei Carmini (Dorsoduro 2616 to 2617 ), open Monday to Sunday from 11 to 4pm, still preserves the habitats of great artistic value, such as the Chapel , the altar dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Sacristy, the Chapter House which is the larger and enriched by precious works by Giambattista Tiepolo, the Hall of the Archive with the walls covered by wooden reredos by the sculptor Giacomo Piazzetta, the hall of the canvas with the Padovanino .

The Scuola Grande San Teodoro (San Marco 4810 ) has a vast monumental hall and the walls of the first floor rooms are painted by Jacopo Palma il Giovane. Today it is a venue for concerts and conferences.

The Scuola Grande di San Marco (Campo SS Giovanni e Paolo ) is the Civil Hospital of Venice. Of great impact is the facade with the false perspective of Mauro Codussi, a masterpiece of the Venetian Renaissance. Among the paintings still preserved inside, there are those made by Domenico Tintoretto, Jacopo Palma il Vecchio, Jacopo Palma the Younger, and John Padovanino Good Folk .

The Scuola Grande di Santa Maria della Misericordia ( Cannaregio 3599 ) is a building of considerable size, so that the hall on the first floor turns out to be , after the Ducal Palace, the largest of Venice. Here we are still preserved the frescoes attributed to the school of Paolo Veronese. The school, for years turned into a gym where he coached the basketball team Reyer, now hosts exhibitions, conferences, events and parties .

The Scuola Grande di Santa Maria della Carita’ ( Dorsoduro 1050), over the centuries has been transformed and has become home now houses the Gallerie dell’Accademia.