- you are here: Home
- Hidden Treasures
- The miraculous statue of the Madonna of the Garden in Venice
The miraculous statue of the Madonna of the Garden in Venice
Unknown places & works
The miraculous statue of the Madonna of the Garden in Venice
In the Cannaregio district, away from the hubbub of the classic tourist destinations, you can find the beautiful Church of St Cristoforo, built during the 14th century as a monastery. In Venice, however, no one ever called it St Cristoforo ...
Nereby lived the sculptor Giovanni de Santi, who, commissioned by the priest of Santa Maria Formosa, had carved a statue of the Virgin Mary, but it was rejected.
The sculptor temporarily put the unfinished stone statue in the garden of his own home. Shortly after, the sculptor's wife noticed that the statue gave off strange glows in the night: the news soon spread throughout the city and the place became a pilgrimage site. Following the occurrence of some miracles and the increase in popular veneration, the authorities encouraged De Santi to move the statue inside his house or inside a church to avoid improper forms of worship.
The artist then sold it to the St Cristoforo School (at the time based in the church), for the large sum of 150 ducats. Hence, on June 18, 1377, the statue was solemnly carried into the church...
In 1414 the Council of the Ten granted the church the official use of the name 'Madonna of the Garden', which was already being used amongst common people.
If you want to visit this beautiful church with Francesca, our official tourist guide of Venice and author of Hidden Treasures, you can send us an inquiry by filling in the following form: Francesca will arrange an itinerary for you, telling you about many other interesting facts on Venice and its monuments!
- Google+
- tumblr
Search posts
Latest posts
Venice: What happened on March 3 in Venice

Almanac of Venice
According to the Venetian Liturgical Calendar, today is St. Cunegundes Empress’ Day - March 3, 1043: the monastery and church...
ViewVenice: What happened on March 2 in Venice

Almanac of Venice
According to the Venetian Liturgical Calendar, today is Pope Simplicius’ Day - March 2, 1429: an exceptional high tide with pu...
ViewVenice: Veronica Franco: the most talked-about woman in the Serenissima

Big Names
Among the various Venetian female figures of the past, certainly one of the most interesting and, for many reasons also modern, was Ver...
ViewVenice: 10 songs that will make you think of Venice

Did you know that...
Sometimes we hear the first few lines of a song and our minds are suddenly transported back to a place, a memory or a dream. We put tog...
ViewTop posts
Chioggia: The Valley of the Seven Dead Men

Mysteries & Legends
Halloween is just around the corner: have you already got into the fascinating terrifying aura of the scariest party of the year? No ye...
ViewVenice: The stone heart of St Mark’s Basilica

Unknown places & works
If you are visiting St Mark’s Basilica and have just abandoned the wonderful vision of the Pala d'Oro (which is a must-see), just a f...
ViewVenice: Map of Venice, what to know before you leave

Did you know that...
Did you know that Venice is not a single large island but rather a collection of 117 small islands linked together by over 400 bridges?...
ViewVenice: The origins of the Spritz cocktail

Local Traditions
Spritz, the typical Venetian aperitif, has nowadays become the iconic cocktail of Happy hour not only in Italy, but all over the world....
View