The Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice as the film set of 'Casanova'

In 2005 the film ‘Casanova' was shot in Venice, directed by Lasse Hallström and which starred the late Heath Ledger.

Among the many locations used for the film, there is one that not everyone immediately recognizes: the Chapter Hall of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. In fact, during the first part of the film the Doge organized a masked ball at the Doge's Palace, which Giacomo Casanova participated in. However, the room used was not among those of the famous Doge's Palace, but instead, the Chapter Hall of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. This particular room has rich and luxurious decorations on the ceiling and walls, ideal to represent the interior of an ancient Venetian palace.

In reality, the room was designed for a totally different purpose, since the Scuola Grande di San Rocco was a religious brotherhood of devotees to the patron Saint against plagues. This grand hall was built between 1524 and 1546, and decorated with 35 paintings by the famous painter Jacopo Tintoretto. On the ceiling there are scenes from the Old Testament, while the walls boast paintings that depict the life of Christ. The Scuola Grande di San Rocco, one of the most incredible monuments of Venice, is open every day from 9.30am to 5.30pm.