San Simeon Piccolo

Our building, the San Simeone Piccolo Church, was designed by Giovanni Antonio Scalfarotto and it depicts the emerging eclecticism of Neoclassical architecture in Venice. Prior to its present-day façade, the church was called Santi Simeone e Guida, after its two patron saints, St. Simon and St. Jude. It was originally built in 966, however, it was demolished in 1718 to be rebuilt. Its construction was finished in 1738 and San Simeone Piccolo was one of the last religious building built in Venice. San Simeon Piccolo's façade is not hard to miss, partially due to its location across the Grand Canal, facing the railroad terminal from which many tourist arrive. However, it is also due to its incorporation of various architectural styles, which help set it apart from all the other churches in Venice.
San Simeone Piccolo's huge dome and neoclassical façade was our focus while sketching the church. Firstly, the church's entrance, which is modeled on the Pantheon in Rome, is depicted with a temple-front pronaos (the space between the front columns and the entrance door). The triangular pediment on top of the pronaos has a relief that shows "the Martyrdom of St. Simeone and St. Jude" by Francisco Penso. Moreover, the church's Byzantine style influence is illustrated through the church's centralized circular design and the dome, which was also inspired by Santa Maria della Salute church in Venice. It's steep dome, which is one of the most significant attributes of the church, also has a small lantern dome where the statue of The Redeemer by Michele Fanolli stands. The interior contains pilaster strips and columns that match the outside entrance design. And, at the altar, there are two statues, one of St. Simon and the other of St. Jude. Although today, the church opens for services only, it is still the only church in Venice to have mass in Latin. During the 18th century, this church was probably as much of a social space as it was a private space. The church served as a place of gathering, but, it could also be a place for personal reflection. Ultimately, the church of San Simeone Piccolo was architecturally remarkable because of its huge dome and its neo-classical façade that combined many different architectural styles.