The Treasure of the Church of San Salvador in Venice

In the beautiful Renaissance church of San Salvador, in the St Mark's area in Venice near the Rialto Bridge, you can see a unique treasure, considered by many to be one of the most significant collections of sacred gold art held in Venice. This treasure includes a large number of objects dating from the 14th to the 20th centuries, and which amazingly survived the requisitions of the Napoleonic era.

There are chalices, reliquaries, monstrance and processional crosses, many of them from St. Bartholomew's church, which was annexed to the parish of San Salvador in the 19th century. There are also many objects dating back to the 1300s and 1400s, and some are made with enamel, whereas the objects from the 16th century are of Nordic influence, as St. Bartholomew was the parish of the German community that was staying at the nearby Fondaco, but also ottoman. The 17th century artifacts are extremely simple, as imposed by the mandates of the Council of Trent, while the 18th century ones have a Baroque style, with richly decorated figures all around. The Napoleonic pillage marked a setback in gold production, but in the 1800s a strong recovery was witnessed.

To visit this incredible treasure, ask the keepers of the church, who will open their doors to this incredible 'treasure trove' which you can discover with a fascinating private guided tour with Francesca, the author of this story and expert tour guide in Venice!