SAN GIORGIO CHURCH

Venice, Italy

Situated on the island of San Giorgio, San Giorgio Maggiore's brilliant white facade faces the canal, looking toward San Marco piazza. Built as part of the Benedictine monastery on the island, the church's facade is scaled to present its public face to the town of Venice. Its mass reflects the interior space of the nave and its side chapels. The central temple front is articulated with four three-quarter composite columns raised on high pedestals, which frame the central door. In the back plane, the lower body of the church is articulated by a smaller order of pilasters, supporting two lower, half pediments on either side. The cornice line continues through the central body, interlocking the two forms. The deep relief of these elements, combined with the sculptural detail of capitals, cornices, niches and figures, makes a great play of light and dark in the sunlight.

The interior plan responds to the Renaissance ideal of the centralized plan and symbolic cross form. It also addresses both the medieval tradition of nave churches with ample space for large congregations, and the movement toward more functional churches with side chapels big enough for celebrating the sacraments. The interior ceiling is a longitudinal barrel vault leading to a crossing, framed by grouped columns and arches, which support a dome. Cross vaults above side aisles and a transept with apsidal chapels intersect the nave, and beyond the crossing is a presbytery and a monk's choir. The interior glows with a warm light, reflected by the painted stucco surfaces of the walls and vaults. In contrast, the architectural detail of cut stone columns and pilasters, capitals, bases, continuous entablatures, framed arches and railings, darkened with age, articulate the rhythmic sequence of spaces.

After I finished sketching the San Marco’s Campanile, I simply turned around for the view that became the sketch of San Giorgio. Since the church was more distant than the Campanile, I had to forgo the normal detail, and focus more on the panorama in which the church sat. Even with the absence of detail, the sketch clearly communicates what was there. The viewer of the sketch is able to fill in the missing components and complete the drawing in his mind.