CHURCH OF ST. MARIA MAGGIORE IN TREVISO, VENETO - Italy |
| Address: Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore - Treviso |
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| According to the history, the Church of St. Maria Maggiore (Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore), called
"Madona Granda" also, was built where there was only a capital with the image of the Virgin originally;
this fact is borne witness to by some remains of the church of the 8th century, they were found when
the new parsonage was constructed. |
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In the end of ninth century the history of
Treviso was marked by the barbarian invasions, they were the cause also of the church destruction, which was raised again after 11th century. In the second half of 15th century the church
was rebuilt in Gothic style by Lateran Canons. The picture of the Madonna, by Tomaso da Modena,
(who lived in Treviso from 1346 to 1358) and the main façade, made by rough bricks, were the one
things to be unchanged.
The history of the church was bound to fate of Treviso tightly: in the early 1500s a part of the bricks
of the Church were carried away to build the new Walls and on March 13th, 1945 during the bombardment,
the nave and more than half of the main façade were razed. |
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The Chiesa di S. Maria Maggiore,in Treviso, engraving by Antonio Nani, 19th century - FAST - Foto Archivio Storico Trevigiano, Fondo Fini, n. immagine: F 8047 |
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The bell tower was restored some
times in the centuries, it had the same height of the Church façade originally and it was born
as a tower destined to war use. The Church and the tower bell were built by bricks except few friezes,
made by Istrian stone; the church has a rectangular plan and is made by three naves. The main side has
three entries: the middle entry is bigger and the side doors are smaller, all entries have a frame by
Istrian stone.
There is a rose window over every entry and you may see two high large windows ending with a pointed arch
between these; you see five shrines with columns and trefoil arches, made by Istrian stone, on the top of
the main façade. |
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The Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore today
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Detail of a shrines of the main facade |
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| In Piazza St. Maria Maggiore, there is an interesting
and old building in front of the church at the corner, it was raised from the end of 13th century to beginning
of the 14th century even if it has been restored some times in the centuries, perhaps it extended on the whole
side in front of the square. |
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SHOW AT CLOISTER OF SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE CHURCH IN TREVISO |
| Via Crucis is title of the show care of S. M. Maggiore Chuch in Treviso; this exhibition shows more than a dozen of works made by artists from Treviso. The paintings are standing for crosses which some bore in a Christian way. The show will end on February 28, 2007. |
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