Personality: Antonio Vivaldi.
Place: Chiesa di San Giovanni in Bragora.
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“My life, I realize suddenly, is July. Childhood is June, and old age is August, but here it is, July, and my life, this year, is July inside of July.” ―Rick Bass
Summer is here and it is followed by the eternal fight between people who love mountains and people who love the seaside. Actually, it is possible to find a little piece of beauty everywhere. One person who understood this was Antonio Vivaldi, who was able to musically describe the different sides of every season.
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Antonio Vivaldi
Let us introduce the history of Antonio Vivaldi with a pinch of emotion as we study his music since childhood.
The life of Antonio Vivaldi, one of the most famous musicians of all times, starts in Venice in 1678.
Nowadays, it does not remain much of the Venice Vivaldi knew, but we know for sure one thing: the young Vivaldi was baptized in the old church of San Giovanni in Bragora.
He spent his childhood in Venice where he was affected by health problems like asthma.
At the young age of 10 y.o. he started to study theology under the influence of his mother.
Later, he became priest in 1703 and from this point he became known as the Prete Rosso (meaning Red Priest) referring to the color of his hairs.
Nonetheless, he started to teach violin to the young hosts of a hospice in Venice. During this period, he started to show his great talent as a composer.
Soon, he became famous all over Venice and even abroad to the point that he became the director of Teatro Sant’Angelo.
It is not clear why Vivaldi left Venice to Vienna around 1730. What we know is that the musical taste changed and Vivaldi was not anymore kept in such high esteem as he was back in Venice.
This is why, unfortunately, he died poor and lonely in 1741.
Chiesa di San Giovanni in Bragora
As we said, Vivaldi was baptized soon after his birth in this Church located in the Sestiere of Castello, in the eastern part of Venice.
The name “Bragora” seems to refer to the mud that characterized the area where the building is located.
According to the legend the construction of this Temple dedicated to San Giovanni Battista dates from the 9th century, but the first document that mentioned the building is signed in 1090 by Andrea Martinaci priest of the church.
The current façade of this beautiful church has been renovated between 1475 and 1505 by Sebastiano Mariani da Lugano who gave the building a late Gothic appearance.
But there’s more: take a look also to the interiors for discover some masterpieces, such as the “Lavanda dei piedi” made by Jacopo Palma il Giovane.
Enjoy your visit in this place!
