San Pantalon Venice
The world's largest canvas painting
Not far from Venice's Santa Lucia railway station stands the umpteenth church that passers-by come across when walking in Venice. Located in Dorsoduro, this church’s outer appearance is quite unremarkable and bare.
Legend has it that facing periods of crisis, the Venetians had to find money where they could and, for this, started taking off marble from many churches’ facades and selling it to the best bidder. This church’s façade might fit perfectly with the description. Nevertheless, it is more appropriate to say that it has remained unfinished. On the other hand, it is the inner part of this building that is the real, and quite unique, attraction I am suggesting.
Once you step inside, many things will catch your eye, such as chandeliers, statues, portraits, the altar and so on. But none of the mentioned adornments, though beautiful and alluring, could remotely compare with what you will see raising your head to the ceiling. There, hovering over the heads of us all is the largest painting on canvas in the whole world.
Painted from 1680 to 1704, this quarter-of-a-century-long masterpiece embodies the martyrdom of San Pantaleone, the saint this church was named after.
P.S. A Few steps from the church, on the West side of the bridge in front of it, you can find a wonderful Banksy street art painted on an abandoned, decadent yet beautiful building.
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